&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Exercises in name, expansion in fact’: Taiwan slams planned China-Indonesia drill as ‘political manipulation’")
Taiwan has condemned a planned joint naval exercise between China and Indonesia near waters east of the island, calling it a “military provocation” on late Tuesday (Aug 11). It urged Beijing to “immediately stop this dangerous behaviour that undermines the status quo.” This comes after China’s defence ministry announced on Tuesday that a Chinese naval vessel and an Indonesian warship would conduct a “navigation exercise” in mid-August at a location east of Taiwan. The ministry did not specify the exact area where the drill would take place.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said Beijing was attempting to use the exercise to reinforce its claims over waters east of Taiwan. In a statement, it accused China of political manipulation through military activity.
“This is, in reality, political manipulation, ‘exercises in name, expansion in fact’, aimed at creating a false impression before the international community that the Chinese communists have jurisdiction over waters east of Taiwan,” the council said.
The announcement has drawn attention because China rarely conducts military exercises with foreign navies near Taiwan.
Speaking in Taiwan’s parliament on Wednesday (Aug 12), military intelligence official Wu Tien-jen said the Indonesian warship was returning from Japan and was not believed to have been deployed specifically for joint operations with China. He said the vessel was about 70 to 80 nautical miles east of Taiwan.
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“Militarily this does not have a direct impact on Taiwan,” Wu said. “It has a geopolitical significance.”
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it had sought a “clarification” from Indonesia over its participation in the exercise.
The development comes as Taiwan is holding its annual Han Kuang military drills, which simulate responses to a potential Chinese attack. Beijing has stepped up military and coast guard operations around Taiwan in recent months, while Taipei maintains that only the Taiwanese people can decide the island’s future.
