A formation of Chinese warships has been holding daily combat drills for more than a week in waters near Taiwan, China’s state media said yesterday.
The news came as US Secretary of Defense James Mattis was set to arrive in Beijing for an official visit.
Since June 17, a group of navy warships, including a Type 054A frigate and a Type 052C destroyer, have been conducting exercises near Taiwan, including in the Bashi Channel and the Taiwan Strait, said 81.cn, an official publication of the Chinese army.
“The drills tested the military and training abilities of warship, aviation and coastal defense troops via organizing real combat training in multiple areas of the ocean,” it said.
It was not clear if the drills had ended.
The vessels were monitored continuously and there was no cause for alarm, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.
US overtures toward Taiwan, from unveiling a new de facto embassy to passing the Taiwan Travel Act, which encourages US officials to visit, have further escalated tension between Beijing and Taipei.
Sino-US ties are under growing pressure over burgeoning trade friction, the North Korean nuclear crisis and escalating activity in the disputed waterway of the South China Sea.
Early this month, Mattis, in a strongly worded speech at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, warned of Chinese intimidation in the South China Sea, adding that the US was ready to “compete vigorously” if needed.
China often says the US’ acknowledgement of its “one China” principle is foundational for two-way ties, and that Taiwan is the most sensitive issue in the relationship.
The US is considering sending a warship through the Taiwan Strait, US officials said early this month.
Such a passage, should it happen, could be seen in Taiwan as a fresh sign of support by US President Donald Trump.
The last time a US aircraft carrier transited the Taiwan Strait was in 2007, during the administration of former US president George W. Bush, and some US military officials believe a carrier transit is overdue.
In recent months, China’s air force has held military maneuvers near Taiwan, which Taipei has denounced as intimidation.
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