Taiwan has condemned planned Chinese naval drills with an Indonesian warship off the island’s east coast, calling the exercise a dangerous provocation and accusing Beijing of trying to create the impression that it controls waters east of Taiwan.
China’s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that the exercise, planned for mid August, would be a navigation exercise involving an Indonesian navy ship. It would mark the first time China has conducted a military drill with a foreign navy in waters east of Taiwan.
The planned exercise comes after China began coast guard patrols off Taiwan’s eastern coast in June, further increasing tensions around the democratically governed island.
Indonesia Says Exercise Is Not About War Fighting
Indonesia’s navy said on Wednesday that its ship, the I Gusti Ngurah Rai, would conduct passing exercises with countries while returning from a visit to Russia.
Stay ahead of the geopolitical week.
MD Briefing delivers expert analysis across five global fronts — the Indo-Pacific, energy, geoeconomics, European security, and the Middle East — every Monday morning. Free.
Indonesian navy spokesperson Tunggul said the activities were not related to war fighting and described them as a traditional naval practice conducted when vessels transit through another country’s maritime area.
Indonesia did not directly mention China in its explanation.
Taiwan Calls Drill a Military Provocation
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council strongly criticised the planned exercise, saying Beijing should immediately stop what it described as dangerous behaviour that threatens the existing status quo.
Taiwan said China’s recent actions, including what Beijing describes as routine law enforcement patrols east of the island, were part of a broader attempt to expand its presence in the area.
The council accused Beijing of conducting what it described as “exercises in name, expansion in fact”, arguing that the activities were designed to create the impression internationally that China has jurisdiction over waters east of Taiwan.
China rejects Taiwan’s sovereignty claims and considers the island part of its territory.
No Direct Military Impact, Taiwan Says
Taiwanese military officials said the planned exercise does not currently pose a direct military threat to the island.
Wu Tien-jen, assistant deputy chief of Taiwan’s general staff for intelligence, told lawmakers that the Indonesian warship was returning from Japan and had not travelled specifically to participate in the exercise.
He said the vessel was approximately 70 to 80 nautical miles from Taiwan’s eastern coast in the Pacific.
“Militarily this does not have a direct impact on Taiwan,” Wu said, while stressing that the exercise carries geopolitical significance.
China’s state backed Global Times, meanwhile, quoted military expert Zhang Junshe as saying that the exercise demonstrated China’s sovereign rights over the waters east of Taiwan. He argued that inviting foreign vessels to conduct training in waters Beijing considers under its jurisdiction was normal.
Taiwan Holds Annual Military Exercises
The development comes as Taiwan conducts its annual Han Kuang war games, which simulate how the island would respond to a potential Chinese attack.
China’s announcement also coincided with a meeting between U.S. Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby and Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin in Jakarta.
China’s military operates around Taiwan almost daily, while Beijing recognises no sovereignty claims by Taiwan’s government.
Indonesia, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. However, more than 300,000 Indonesian migrant workers live on the island.
Analysis: Why the Waters East of Taiwan Matter
The significance of the planned drill goes beyond the exercise itself. Waters east of Taiwan are strategically important because they open directly into the wider Pacific, giving China an opportunity to demonstrate naval reach beyond the island’s western approaches.
Taiwan’s concern is therefore less about the immediate military capability of an Indonesian warship and more about the precedent created by China’s growing activity in the area. If Beijing can increasingly conduct patrols and military exercises there with foreign partners, it could gradually normalise its presence in waters Taiwan considers strategically vital.
Indonesia’s participation, even if Jakarta views the activity simply as a routine naval passing exercise, also gives the development wider diplomatic significance. It demonstrates how China’s expanding security relationships can intersect with Taiwan’s efforts to preserve the existing regional status quo.
For Taiwan, the challenge is increasingly about preventing China’s military and maritime presence from becoming normalised around the island. For Beijing, demonstrating that it can operate with foreign naval partners east of Taiwan sends a broader message about its growing maritime reach and its determination to challenge existing regional security arrangements.
With information from Reuters.
