Taiwan's Defense Minister stated on Saturday that the increasing frequency of Chinese military activities around Taiwan raises the likelihood of events spiraling out of control and resulting in an accidental clash. Taiwan noted that in the past two weeks, China has conducted military exercises near the island involving dozens of fighter jets, drones, and other aircraft, as well as warships and the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong.
China, which considers the democratically governed Taiwan to be a territory under its rule, has carried out numerous similar drills around the island in recent years to assert its sovereignty claims and pressure Taipei. In response to a question from reporters on the possibility of an accidental incident escalating into a wider conflict due to the frequency of Chinese activities, Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng stated, "This concerns us greatly."
Chiu pointed out that "the risks associated with activities involving aircraft, ships, and weapons will increase, and both sides must be vigilant." Beijing has not commented on the drills around Taiwan, and the Chinese Ministry of Defense did not respond to requests for comment. The ministry stated on Saturday that China has largely suspended its drills and reported that only two Chinese aircraft were active in the air defense identification zone in the past 24 hours.
