Taiwan Angered by Planned China-Indonesia Naval Exercise

Taiwan has strongly condemned China’s plan to conduct a naval exercise involving an Indonesian warship near Taiwan’s eastern coast, calling the move “dangerous” and a “military provocation.”

Taipei accused Beijing of using the planned exercise to create a misleading impression internationally that China has control over waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast.

China’s Ministry of National Defense said a “maritime navigation exercise” with an Indonesian naval vessel would be held in an area east of Taiwan in mid-August. However, it did not disclose the exact location or timing of the exercise.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, the government body responsible for China-related policy, described the plan as a military provocation in a statement issued Tuesday night. It urged Beijing to immediately refrain from what it called dangerous actions that could undermine regional stability.

Taiwan said China has recently increased its presence along the island’s eastern coast under the pretext of conducting routine law-enforcement patrols. Taipei now believes Beijing is seeking to use military exercises with other countries to create the impression that China has authority over the waters east of Taiwan.

A senior official from Taiwan’s military intelligence division told lawmakers that the Indonesian warship was not specifically traveling to participate in an exercise with China. The vessel was reportedly in the area while returning from Japan and was about 70 to 80 nautical miles from Taiwan’s eastern coast at the time.

The official said the development did not pose any immediate direct military threat to Taiwan. However, he emphasized that it carries significant geopolitical implications.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry has also asked Indonesia to clarify whether it will actually participate in the planned exercise. Indonesia’s navy and defense ministry did not immediately comment on the matter.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan, however, is a self-governing democracy, and its government maintains that the future of the island can only be decided by the Taiwanese people.

In recent years, the Chinese military’s increasingly frequent activities around Taiwan have heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait and the wider region.

Taiwan is currently conducting its annual Han Kuang military exercises, which include drills simulating various scenarios involving a potential Chinese attack and preparations to respond to such threats.

The report of a possible China-Indonesia naval exercise comes at a time when Washington and Jakarta are also discussing expanded defense cooperation. On the same day, senior US defense policy official Elbridge Colby met Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin in Jakarta.

Indonesia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. However, more than 300,000 Indonesian migrant workers live on the island.

Taipei’s concerns over a possible joint China-Indonesia naval exercise near Taiwan’s eastern waters have once again highlighted the growing security tensions surrounding the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan fears that Beijing is using military exercises and other maritime activities as a means of gradually expanding its military presence and political influence in the region.