A flotilla of Chinese navy vessels was photographed sailing in the waters near Taiwan on Thursday, with Beijing's maritime force now frequently appearing in the island's surrounding waters at ever closer distances.
Images supplied to Newsweek by plane and ship spotting group Taiwan ADIZ showed at least two People's Liberation Army Navy warships among the group of three, which was seen in the waters east of Taiwan at 11 a.m. local time.
PLA Navy ships the Zibo, a Type 052D destroyer, and the Jingzhou, a Type 054A frigate, used the busy shipping line, according to the photographs showing visible hull numbers. They were accompanied by the Type 903 replenishment ship Qiandaohu, said the spotters, who placed China's naval flotilla at 31 nautical miles from Taiwan's coastline.
In the 16 months since Rep. Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) visit to Taiwan—the first by a sitting House speaker in a quarter century—Beijing has increased its military aircraft and vessel presence around the island in what Taipei says is a strategy of intimidation, and to exhaust its armed forces.
The activity happens in international waters, just outside of Taiwan's contiguous zone, a buffer area that extends an additional 12 nautical miles from Taiwan's standard 12-nautical mile territorial sea.
China's ships have largely respected the 24-nautical mile limit, although their crews do not acknowledge its existence because of Beijing's long-standing claim that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.
When PLA vessels approach, they often are often confronted by Taiwan's own warships, and together they circle the island's surrounding waters in high-pressure standoffs.
One such incident was captured in radio messages in late November, when a single Taiwanese navy vessel sought to head off two approaching Chinese warships in a two-on-one encounter in the Taiwan Strait.
The crews were heard asserting each country's position in what is now a near-daily occurrence, both at sea and in the sky.
The radio challenges reviewed by Newsweek revealed the ships as Taiwan's Kang Ding-class frigate ROCS Di Hua and the PLA Navy's Type 052D destroyer Hohhot and Type 054A frigate Yixing.
An unidentified Kang Ding-class frigate was present on Thursday when the Zibo, the Jingzhou and the Qiandaohu made their pass, Taiwan ADIZ said.
Observers say the frequent maneuvers around Taiwan are part of Beijing's "gray zone" warfare, referring to coercive tactics that deliberately fall short of war, meant to drain an adversary's resources, inflict psychological strain and ultimately force concessions.
Chiu Kuo-cheng, Taiwan's defense minister, has repeatedly said Taiwan's armed forces would not fire the first shot, but insisted his troops would follow established self-defense protocols should PLA vessels or planes cross into the island's territorial sea or airspace.
China's defense ministry couldn't be reached for comment before publication.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
John Feng is Newsweek's contributing editor for Asia based in Taichung, Taiwan. His focus is on East Asian politics. He ... Read more
