Latest news with #YellowSea
CNA
2 days ago
- General
- CNA
Taiwan says China deployed 2 aircraft carrier groups, dozens of ships
TAIPEI: China deployed two aircraft carrier groups and dozens of ships in waters north and south of Taiwan last month, a Taiwanese security official said on Monday (Jun 2), as Beijing keeps up military pressure on the self-ruled island. Up to 70 Chinese ships, including navy vessels, were monitored from the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea from May 1 to May 27, a security official said on the condition of anonymity. Beijing has ramped up the deployment of fighter jets and warships around Taiwan in recent years as it pressures Taipei to accept its claims of sovereignty over the island. China has refused to rule out using force to bring Taiwan under its control, leaving the island to face the constant threat of invasion. "Its military actions and grey-zone activities have included large-scale deployments across the entire island chain, involving comprehensive maximum pressure," the security official said in remarks released on Monday. "On average, there have been between 50 to 70 naval vessels and government ships as well as hundreds of sorties by various military aircraft continuously conducting harassment operations." Some of the ships passed through the Miyako Strait to the Western Pacific Ocean for "long-distance training, including combined air-sea exercises", the official said. Another 30 Chinese vessels with no name, documentation or port of registry were detected near Taiwan's Penghu archipelago in the Taiwan Strait on May 19 and had been "deliberately sent to harass", the official said. And a total of 75 Chinese aircraft were involved in three "combat readiness patrols" near the island during the month, Taiwan's defence ministry figures show. Asia-Pacific's so-called first island chain links Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippines, while the Yellow Sea is west of South Korea – all partners of the United States and critical to its influence in the region. "MORE PROVOCATIVE" The Taiwanese security official said China's activities in May were "more provocative than previously observed". In one incident, Tokyo and Beijing exchanged diplomatic protests each accusing the other of "violating" national airspace, after a Chinese helicopter and coast guard vessels faced off with a Japanese aircraft around disputed islands. The Chinese actions were a demonstration of "military expansion" and were aimed at controlling the "entire island chain and improving their capabilities", the official said. China's deployment coincided with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's speech on May 20 marking his first year in office and came ahead of an annual security forum in Singapore at the weekend. US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth told the Shangri-La Dialogue that China was "credibly preparing" to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia. Beijing, which did not send its Defence Minister Dong Jun to the summit, warned Washington "should not play with fire". "It felt like they were in a state where they could announce something at any moment, trying to seize on some opportunity or excuse to act," the Taiwanese official said of the Chinese.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- General
- Al Arabiya
Taiwan says China deployed two aircraft carrier groups, dozens of ships
China deployed two aircraft carrier groups and dozens of ships in waters north and south of Taiwan last month, a Taiwanese security official said Monday, as Beijing keeps up military pressure on the self-ruled island. Up to 70 Chinese ships, including navy vessels, were monitored from the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea from May 1-27, a security official said on the condition of anonymity. Beijing has ramped up the deployment of fighter jets and warships around Taiwan in recent years as it pressures Taipei to accept its claims of sovereignty over the island. China has refused to rule out using force to bring Taiwan under its control, leaving the island to face the constant threat of invasion. 'Its military actions and grey-zone activities have included large-scale deployments across the entire island chain, involving comprehensive maximum pressure,' the security official said in remarks released Monday. 'On average, there have been between 50 to 70 naval vessels and government ships as well as hundreds of sorties by various military aircraft continuously conducting harassment operations.' Some of the ships passed through the Miyako Strait to the Western Pacific Ocean for 'long-distance training, including combined air-sea exercises,' the official said. Another 30 Chinese vessels with no name, documentation or port of registry were detected near Taiwan's Penghu archipelago in the Taiwan Strait on May 19 and had been 'deliberately sent to harass,' the official said. And a total of 75 Chinese aircraft were involved in three 'combat readiness patrols' near the island during the month, Taiwan's defense ministry figures show. Asia-Pacific's so-called first island chain links Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippines, while the Yellow Sea is west of South Korea -- all partners of the United States and critical to its influence in the region. 'More provocative' The Taiwanese security official said China's activities in May were 'more provocative than previously observed.' In one incident, Tokyo and Beijing exchanged diplomatic protests each accusing the other of 'violating' national airspace, after a Chinese helicopter and coast guard vessels faced off with a Japanese aircraft around disputed islands. The Chinese actions were a demonstration of 'military expansion' and were aimed at controlling the 'entire island chain and improving their capabilities,' the official said. China's deployment coincided with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's speech on May 20 marking his first year in office and came ahead of an annual security forum in Singapore at the weekend. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told the Shangri-La Dialogue that China was 'credibly preparing' to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia. Beijing, which did not send its Defense Minister Dong Jun to the summit, warned Washington 'should not play with fire.' 'It felt like they were in a state where they could announce something at any moment, trying to seize on some opportunity or excuse to act,' the Taiwanese official said of the Chinese. China has carried out several large-scale military drills around Taiwan since Lai took office.
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
China's navy conducts combat patrols near disputed South China Sea shoal
China's navy has conducted 'combat readiness patrols' near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, while South Korean officials separately announced the discovery of more Chinese buoys in contested waters in the Yellow Sea. The Southern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted the drills in the 'territorial waters and airspace of China's Huangyan Island and surrounding areas', state-run news outlet Xinhua reported on Saturday, using China's name for the Scarborough Shoal. The report said the PLA had been conducting drills in the area throughout May to 'further strengthen the control of relevant sea and air areas, resolutely defend national sovereignty and security, and resolutely maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea'. The Scarborough Shoal is a rocky islet claimed by The Philippines, located 220km (119 miles) west of Luzon, the nearest landmass. Beijing blockaded and seized the territory, a traditional fishing ground, from Manila in 2012. The Chinese navy regularly carries out provocative military drills in the area as part of its claims of sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that Beijing's claims had no legal basis under international law. In late April, Manila accused Beijing of carrying out 'dangerous manoeuvres and obstruction' after a Chinese naval ship damaged a Philippine coastguard ship with a water cannon near the shoal. Also on Saturday, South Korean officials announced they had recorded three new Chinese buoys installed near overlapping waters with South Korea, bringing the total number of such devices installed by China in the Yellow Sea to 13. '[We] are closely monitoring activities within the provisional maritime zone [PMZ], including China's unauthorised installation of structures, and will closely [cooperate] with relevant agencies to protect our maritime sovereignty,' a Ministry of Defence official said, according to South Korea's official Yonhap news agency. Two of the Chinese buoys – first detected in May 2023, but only announced this week – have been installed near the zone, according to Yonhap. The third buoy is located inside the maritime zone, a contested area where the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) claims of South Korea and China overlap, Yonhap added. China asserts its maritime boundary is based on a 1962 agreement signed with North Korea which cuts into waters South Korea considers part of its economic zone. The Yellow Sea PMZ allows joint management of marine resources and prohibits activities beyond navigation and fishing. However, tensions have grown between Beijing and Seoul as China has repeatedly erected installations in the waters, including 10 three-metre-wide and six-metre-tall observation buoys since 2018 and a fixed steel structure in 2022. Last week, China declared three no-sail zones within the zone, in a move 'believed to be for military training purposes', according to the Korea Joongang Daily newspaper. The no-sail declarations caused concern in Seoul over a potential uptick in Chinese military activity in the area.
CNA
24-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
South Korea says concerned by China's 'no-sail zone' in overlapping waters
SEOUL: South Korea has voiced concerns to China over its establishment of a "no-sail zone" in a shared area of the Yellow Sea, Seoul's foreign ministry said on Saturday (May 24). The US outlet Newsweek reported on Wednesday that China had barred ships from entering certain parts of the Yellow Sea, located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. According to Newsweek, a regional branch of China's Maritime Safety Administration declared the no-sail zone in parts of the sea's Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ) - a shared area where the two countries' exclusive economic zones overlap - until May 27. The MSA did not provide a reason, according to Newsweek, but South Korean media reported it was for "military training purposes", citing the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency. Seoul's foreign ministry said on Saturday that both countries were allowed to conduct military drills in the shared zone, but that "China's establishment of a no-sail zone within the PMZ that excessively restricts freedom of navigation raises concerns". Accordingly, Seoul has "conveyed such concerns to the Chinese side through diplomatic channels", it added. The ministry also noted it was coordinating with other agencies, including the defence ministry, to "assess whether China's recent measure is in accordance with international maritime law". According to Newsweek, Beijing has also installed three structures which it claims are "aquaculture facilities".
Al Arabiya
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
South Korea says concerned by China's ‘no-sail zone' in overlapping waters
South Korea has voiced concerns to China over its establishment of a 'no-sail zone' in a shared area of the Yellow Sea, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday. The US outlet Newsweek reported Wednesday that China had barred ships from entering certain parts of the Yellow Sea, located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. According to Newsweek, a regional branch of China's Maritime Safety Administration declared the no-sail zone in parts of the sea's Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ) -- a shared area where the two countries' exclusive economic zones overlap -- until May 27. The MSA did not provide a reason, according to Newsweek, but South Korean media reported it was for 'military training purposes,' citing the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency. Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday that both countries were allowed to conduct military drills in the shared zone, but that 'China's establishment of a no-sail zone within the PMZ that excessively restricts freedom of navigation raises concerns.' Accordingly, Seoul has 'conveyed such concerns to the Chinese side through diplomatic channels,' it added. The ministry also noted it was coordinating with other agencies, including the defense ministry, to 'assess whether China's recent measure is in accordance with international maritime law.' According to Newsweek, Beijing has also installed three structures which it claims are 'aquaculture facilities.' Some South Korean media outlets have suggested that these actions within the PMZ could be 'grey zone' tactics, deliberately ambiguous moves aimed at expanding China's maritime jurisdiction.
