Taiwan condemns China's plan for navy drill with Indonesia off island's east

TAIPEI, Aug 12 — Taiwan has strongly condemned China's plan to carry out a navy drill with Indonesia off the island's eastern coast this month, alleging Beijing aims to mislead the international community into believing it holds jurisdiction over the territory. China contends that Taiwan belongs to its sovereignty and maintains authority over the surrounding waters, a claim Taiwan rejects.

The Chinese Defense Ministry announced yesterday that a Chinese warship and an Indonesian frigate will conduct a "passage exercise" east of Taiwan in mid-August to strengthen their joint operational capabilities and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. Taiwan's main China policy body responded vehemently, strongly condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) military provocation.

According to the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), this move "is, in reality... aimed at creating the false impression for the international community that the CCP has jurisdiction over waters east of Taiwan and blatantly infringing upon our national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests." The Indonesian military had not yet commented on the matter.

China's announcement came as Taiwan conducts its largest military drills of the year, preparing its population for a possible Chinese invasion. Beijing deploys warships, fighter jets, and coast guard vessels around Taiwan almost daily to assert its sovereignty claim. In June, Chinese ships began patrolling an area of the Western Pacific near Taiwan's eastern coast, which Taipei labeled as "provocative" and "expansionism in disguise."

During that operation, the China Coast Guard radioed cargo ships passing Taiwan for information about their crew and destination for the first time. Last week, China's Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration announced "traffic control measures" for the Taiwan Strait as Typhoon Dolphin approached the region. Ships entering the sensitive waterway from the south would be required to follow strict traffic control regulations, seek shelter in safe waters, and adhere to the instructions of on-site maritime authorities to ensure safety.

Taiwan's MAC described this order as a "trampling of the international order and norms" and "utterly ridiculous."