An unpublicized joint military exercise between Taiwan and the US in the Pacific Ocean last month was carried out in accordance with an international code, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday.
According to a Reuters report citing four unnamed sources, the two nations’ navies last month conducted joint drills in the Western Pacific.
The drills were not made public at the time, but “about half-a-dozen navy ships from both sides, including frigates and supply and support vessels, participated in the days-long exercises,” Reuters reported, citing the sources.
Photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Reuters
The drills were designed to practice “basic” operations such as communications, refueling and resupplies, the sources said.
Ministry spokesman Major General Sun Li-fang (孫立方) said that the drills were based on the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES), a series of non-binding rules to prevent an escalation of tensions between militaries at sea.
Routine drills were carried out in accordance with CUES to avoid mutual interference during encounters at sea, because there are many uncertain factors during any such encounters, Sun said.
An agreement reached at the 2014 Western Pacific Naval Symposium, CUES offers safety measures and a means to limit mutual interference, to limit uncertainty and to facilitate communication when naval ships or naval aircraft encounter each other in an unplanned manner.
“It’s like I am dining in this restaurant and you also happen to be here,” Reuters quoted a source as saying. “Then it looks like I am only sharing the same table with someone.”
A third source said that although the two navies’ “unplanned encounters” involved mostly basic exercises, such drills are vital to ensure they can operate together in times of emergency.
The two navies also practiced tactical maneuvers, including searching for underwater targets, the third source said.
The Pentagon declined to comment.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The drills, which focused on communications and other operations and did not involve live-fire maritime exercises, were not the first held to simulate encounters between Taiwanese and US naval ships, a source familiar with the matter said.
In 2016, a Taiwanese flotilla composed of the Kang Ding and Cheng Ho frigates, as well as the Panshih combat supply ship, were returning from a goodwill voyage when they unexpectedly met the USS Chaffee, a destroyer, in waters off Hawaii, the Military News Agency reported.
The Taiwanese ships established contact with the US vessel, and exchanged speed and bearing information to ensure mutual navigation safety following CUES, it said.
Separately, the MND said in a statement yesterday evening that as of 5pm, 23 Chinese warplanes had been detected operating near Taiwan, 15 of which crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.
Joint surveillance units kept a close watch on the situation, and aircraft, ships and shore-based missile systems were deployed to respond appropriately, it said.
Meanwhile, asked about Chinese military activity ahead of the inauguration of president-elect William Lai (賴清德) on Monday next week, Sun said that peace in the Taiwan Strait and regional stability depend on the joint efforts of all parties.
Any provocative actions would not help regional peace and stability, and Taiwan’s military is not a troublemaker and will not take provocative actions, Sun said.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army on Saturday deployed the Lishui, a Type 052D destroyer, in waters around Penghu County.
Major General Tung Chi-hsing (董冀星), who is in charge of combat and planning affairs at the MND, said that China has also been stepping up “gray zone” warfare against Taiwan.
The MND would continue its joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations to stay on top of developments in the Taiwan Strait and respond to any emergencies based on combat readiness guidelines and regulations, Tung said.
Additional reporting by Wu Che-yu
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