Taiwan reports record Chinese naval activity amid joint China‑Russia drills

Taiwan’s National Security Bureau director‑general Tsai Ming‑yen told reporters that Chinese naval movements are showing an “upward trend” during the July‑September peak of Beijing’s military‑exercise season. He said four Chinese naval formations are currently operating in the Western Pacific and that Taiwan is tracking more than 110 Chinese warships and Coast Guard vessels along the First Island Chain – a record level.

China and Russia announced joint naval exercises near the Chinese city of Qingdao this week, which Taiwanese officials said they had been warned about in advance. The drills are framed by Beijing and Moscow as a response to the United States’ “denial and defence” strategy protecting the chain of islands from Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines to Borneo. Taiwan noted that in 2023 it had also observed two Russian warships off its eastern coast.