Taipei detected Chinese ships in nearby waters ahead of anticipated drills

Beijing appears to be preparing for widely anticipated drills in response to a recent visit by Taiwan’s leader to Hawaii and Guam.

Taiwan’s defense ministry said yesterday that it detected Chinese naval and coast guard ships entering the Taiwan Strait and the western Pacific and that China had restricted airspace along its southeast coast through Wednesday.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Chinese side.

It comes as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he would not commit to defending Taiwan if China were to invade during his presidency.

China says Taiwan is part of its territory and opposes American support and military sales to the self-governing island. Lai Ching-te made stops in Hawaii and Guam during a weeklong tour of the Pacific that ended Friday.

China maintains that Taiwan is a province that should not have its own president or foreign relations.

Taiwan’s defense ministry said it has set up an emergency response center and launched combat readiness exercises in response to Chinese activity in the Taiwan Strait. It did not say what those exercises entailed.

“It must be pointed out that there is no such thing as a defense ministry in Taiwan,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said when asked about the Taiwanese statement. “Taiwan is part of China, and the Taiwan issue is China’s internal affairs. China will firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

China, which views Lai as a separatist, held major military exercises around Taiwan following his inauguration in May and his national day speech in October. It also held a major drill after Nancy Pelosi, then the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, visited Taiwan in 2022.

The Taiwan defense ministry statement said China had restricted air space in seven zones off Fujian province, which faces Taiwan, and off Zhejiang province, which stretches north from Fujian to Shanghai.

Trump was asked during a televised interview if he would commit to defending Taiwan.

“I never say, because I have to negotiate things, right?” he told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

He said he had spoken in recent days with Chinese leader Xi Jinping but the two did not discuss the Taiwan issue.

“We talked about other things,” he said. “But I have a very good relationship, and I hope he doesn’t do it.” MDT/AP