China Holds 'Search and Rescue' Drills in the Taiwan Strait
Three Chinese ships carried out what Beijing called ‘emergency search and rescue’ drills near Taiwan, an action Taiwan’s Coast Guard calls an example of Chinese gray-zone activity.
Tensions in the Taiwan Strait
REPORTER:
These photos from Chinese state media show what Beijing is calling “an emergency search and rescue drill” in the Taiwan Strait. But in Taiwan, a country that China threatens to invade, the coast guard is calling foul.
They say Beijing misrepresented the ships’ location to intimidate Taiwan, saying it was on the Taiwan Bank. This portrayed the operation as being much closer to Taiwan’s main island than it was. In reality, Taiwan’s Coast Guard says the ships were near Chinese coastal waters, west of the Median Line that divides the Strait.
Ou Yu Fei (HEAD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, TAIWAN COAST GUARD):
China is once again using deceptive and misleading statements to confuse where these actions are taking place. This is another attempt at grey-zone harassment and cognitive warfare against our country.
REPORTER:
Taiwan Coast Guard officials say it’s an example of Chinese gray zone warfare, meaning hostile actions that fall short of conflict but seek to degrade Taiwan’s defenses. Experts say Beijing may be trying to influence perceptions of what territory it controls.
Su Tzu-yun (DEFENSE ANALYST, INDSR):
The Chinese Communist Party is trying to assert control west of the First Island Chain seeking to claim both sovereignty and governing authority there.
REPORTER:
This weekend, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry also said a Chinese balloon crossed much of the country’s airspace before disappearing northwest of Keelung on Sunday. And, Beijing announced week-long live-fire exercises in the Bohai Strait and the Yellow Sea, amid rising tensions with Japan.
All this comes just days after the recently released US National Security Strategy called for measures to deter a military take over of Taiwan or the South China Sea. Taken together, these developments underscore rising tensions in the region, with Taiwan, its neighbors, and the US watching Beijing closely — all while being wary of actions or statements that mislead or misrepresent the situation.
