China’s Largest Naval Exercise in Decades: Why Send 90 Warships Near

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Why the Secrecy Surrounding China’s Recent Naval Exercises Near Taiwan? – Amid the hysteria over unknown drone swarms sweeping the U.S. mid-Atlantic, a massive and very unusual Chinese naval operation was conducted near Taiwan.

What China Did Near Taiwan

Between December 9-11, over 90 Chinese warships and dozens of aircraft participated in the largest Chinese naval exercise in decades. The drills were made more remarkable by the fact that Beijing made no public statement before, during, or after the operation to explain it.

The first public notice of this unprecedented military operation was the establishment on December 9 of seven airspace exclusion zones stretching from the Yellow Sea, Taiwan Straits and into the South China Sea. That same day, Taiwan defense officials stated large number of warships and significant numbers of aircraft had been engaged in the most widespread Chinese military operation since the third Taiwan crisis (1995-1996). Importantly, Chinese aircraft carriers Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian remained in port during the operation.

Adding to the intrigue was the lack of any public statement before this massive military operation. Typically, Beijing has signaled such activities as an act of protest against something Taipei or the U.S. did. The only official comment from Beijing on the December operation came from a Chinese military spokesman:

“The PLA (China Communist Party’s military) will decide whether and when to conduct military exercises in accordance with our needs and the situation across the (Taiwan) Strait.”

What do we know about the operation? Originally, many China watchers thought this would be the third Joint Sword exercise. The first exercise, Joint Sword 2024A, came in response to the new Taiwanese President’s inauguration speech. Joint Sword 2024B followed the October 10 founding day speech by President Lai Ching Te.

According to previous Heritage analysis, Beijing has in recent years conducted military demonstrations focused on blockading and conducting missile attacks on Taiwan with little notice (typically several days in advance), but this recent massive operation was different. To date, no exercise name has been given nor an explanation of the event responsible for triggering it.

Second, at its peak, over 90 Chinese Navy and Coast Guard vessels were involved along with historically high numbers of warplanes, with many provocatively crossing the Taiwan Strait median line. While recent PLA operations have practiced envelopment of Taiwan, this event was fundamentally different, with warships forming two lines ostensibly to interdict shipping to the east of Taiwan. It has also been reported that this operation was in planning for 70 days.

Why Create So Much Tension?

So what was Beijing’s point of doing this exercise now, and at such a massive scale and scope?

Military preparation and training would seem to be the most plausible explanation. However, this event occurred when such activity is typically subdued, the Chinese military not readied for large scale operations, and when weather conditions are often problematic.

Another potential Beijing goal is to shape the political environment of the electorates in Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, and the U.S. But if that was the primary goal, one would have expected tailored political messaging from Beijing.

Aircraft Carrier from China. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Most likely, Beijing was unsure its military could execute such a large military operation successfully. If so, then this would explain keeping its public messaging on it quiet. At the same time, Beijing knows nearby militaries would note the activity and duly report it. The timing says a lot more.

As President Trump prepares to take office in January, last week’s activity is only a precursor of what’s coming without forceful American leadership. As such, this recent military demonstration serves a reminder of the urgent necessity to bolster a united front against the Chinese Communist Party’s hegemonic aspirations.