Taipei has accused Beijing of conducting its biggest maritime drills in years.
Dozens of Chinese ships have simulated attacking foreign vessels and disrupting sea routes around the self-ruled island, according to security officials in Taiwan.
Plans for the massive exercises began in October and were aimed at showing that China could choke off Taiwan and to "draw a red line" ahead of the next Donald Trump administration, a senior national security official told AFP.
There has been no public announcement by Beijing's army or Chinese state media about increased military activity in the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, South China Sea or Western Pacific Ocean.
"Harming the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait is the work of Taiwan independence separatist forces, with the support of external actors," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news conference in Beijing.
When asked about the drills drawing a "red line" before Trump's return, Mao said: "The Taiwan issue is the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations, this is our consistent position."
Hopes for 'reunification' a fact of life on China's window to Taiwan
Pingtan, China (AFP) Dec 11, 2024 -
Atop rock formations overlooking a vast coastline, groups of Chinese tourists snap pictures and gaze out to sea with binoculars in the direction of Taiwan's main island, just over a hundred kilometres away.
Taipei has this week accused China of launching its biggest maritime drills in years, with about 60 warships and 30 coastguard vessels deployed, spanning from near the southern islands of Japan to the South China Sea.
Beijing has not confirmed the exercises are taking place.
At a scenic park on Pingtan -- a Chinese island that is the closest point to Taiwan's main island -- visitors were more concerned with snapping selfies than military manoeuvres.
Posing for photos, tourists shouted "reunification soon!" in unison.
"We hope for reunification soon, but this hope depends on the will of the people from both Taiwan and the Chinese mainland," a tourist surnamed Hu from the eastern province of Jiangsu told AFP.
"We have only one China," he said.
Communist China has never ruled out the use of force to take democratic Taiwan, which regards itself as a sovereign nation.
The dispute goes back to 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek's nationalist forces were defeated by Mao Zedong's communist fighters and fled to Taiwan.
- 'Why fight?' -
Another tourist in Pingtan, 70-year-old Zhang, said that unification by force could take place quickly -- but said the damage to people on both sides "would be too great".
"We're all Chinese, so why fight each other?" Zhang, visiting from eastern Zhejiang province, added.
"It would be best if everyone could unite peacefully," he said.
"We're not afraid of fighting, but we hope not to."
Nearby, a military compound's propaganda signs on its walls urged passersby to "follow the Party's command" and be "capable of winning battles".
But the fighting rhetoric belied the sleepy island vibes -- in a nearby coastal village, stray dogs roamed freely through empty streets as a labourer tended to roadside bushes.
Laundry lines of clothes stretched across quiet alleyways, the air occasionally punctuated by scooters whizzing by.
Retiree Nian Mei Sheng, 74, said he often saw military planes during drills, including after the inauguration this year of Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, who Beijing has branded a "separatist".
"When we were farming in the mountains, we often saw planes flying over our heads," Nian told AFP in front of his home.
"This year, it has happened several times... after Lai Ching-te came to power," he added.
The Pingtan native said he had noticed fewer Taiwanese tourists visiting the island.
"Since Lai came to power, both travel from Taiwan to here and from here to Taiwan has decreased," he said.
"We hope for Taiwan to reunify with the mainland... we have this aspiration."
Taiwan says China expands military drills around the island
Taipei (AFP) Dec 11, 2024 -
China has expanded military drills around Taiwan with dozens of warplanes and a huge maritime exercise aimed at drawing "a red line" for the next US president, Taipei authorities said Wednesday.
Beijing's biggest maritime drills in years involve about 60 warships and 30 coast guard vessels deployed around the southern islands of Japan to the South China Sea, a senior national security official told AFP on the condition of anonymity.
China has also ramped up military aircraft activity closer to the island, with 100 sorties detected over the past two days, figures from the Taiwan defence ministry show.
There has been no public announcement by Beijing's army or Chinese state media about increased military activity in the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, South China Sea or Western Pacific Ocean.
But a recent Pacific tour by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te had included two stops in US territory, drawing fury from Beijing, which claims the democratic island as part of China's territory.
The security official said Wednesday that China's plans for the massive maritime operation began in October, and were aimed at demonstrating that Beijing could choke off Taiwan and also to "draw a red line" ahead of the next US administration.
"China uses President Lai's overseas visit as a pretext, with Taiwan only serving as an excuse," the official said.
"The real objective appears to be asserting control within the first island chain and establishing strategic deterrence ahead of the US presidential transition."
- Simulating attacks, blockade -
During the drills, Chinese warships have simulated attacking foreign ships while the coast guard has practised intercepting commercial vessels as well as disrupting and blockading sea routes, the official said.
China also held "joint operations with Russia" over several days in November, the official said.
Recent bad weather had "posed challenges for smaller vessels" involved in the drills, they said.
Taiwan regards itself as a sovereign nation. China has said it will not rule out using force to bring the self-ruled island under its control, and has ramped up the deployment of fighter jets and warships around Taiwan in recent years to press its claim.
China also opposes any international recognition of Taiwan and especially bristles at official contact between Taipei and Washington.
Lai made two stopovers on American soil as part of his Pacific tour last week and spoke with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, which drew a barrage of criticism from China.
Beijing's foreign ministry spokeswoman said Tuesday that China will "resolutely defend" its sovereignty.
The sea drills were "significantly larger" than Beijing's maritime response to then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in 2022, which was China's largest-ever war games around Taiwan.
China has held four major military exercises in just over two years, including the drills in response to Pelosi's visit and two since Lai took office in May.
The defence ministry's daily tally of Chinese aircraft detected around Taiwan was 53 on Wednesday and 47 on Tuesday.
Wednesday's figure was the highest number of aircraft detected in a single day since a record 153 was reported on October 15 after China staged large-scale military drills in response to Lai's National Day speech days earlier.
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