Taiwan’s Defense Minister expressed concerns on Saturday about the escalating frequency of China’s military maneuvers near Taiwan, emphasizing the heightened risk of unintended confrontations that could potentially spiral out of control.

In the past two weeks, Taiwan has reported a significant uptick in the presence of numerous fighter aircraft, drones, bombers, naval vessels, and even the Chinese aircraft carrier, the Shandong, operating in proximity to the island.

China, which regards Taiwan as its own territory, has consistently conducted such exercises near the island in recent years as a means to assert its territorial claims and exert pressure on Taipei, Reuters reported.

When questioned by reporters at the parliament regarding the potential for accidental incidents leading to a broader conflict due to the frequent Chinese activities, Taiwan’s Defense Minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, stated, “This is a matter of great concern for us.”

Additionally, warships from China’s southern and eastern theatre commands have been conducting joint operations off the eastern coast of Taiwan, as mentioned by the defense minister.

It’s worth noting that China has not issued any official statements regarding these exercises near Taiwan, and requests for comments to its defense ministry have remained unanswered.

Written by staff