TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND, 國防部) has established an emergency response center to track Chinese naval movements after the Shandong aircraft carrier (山東艦) battle group was detected approaching Taiwan's territorial waters, Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) announced Tuesday (April 1). The monitoring operation began after the Chinese carrier group departed from its base on Hainan Island last Saturday, prompting heightened alert across Taiwan's defense networks.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command (中共東部戰區) launched comprehensive joint military exercises in waters surrounding Taiwan in the early hours of Tuesday. The drills involve coordinated operations between army ground forces, naval vessels, air force jets, and strategic rocket units. In a statement released through Chinese state media, the theater command characterized the exercises as a "stern warning" directed at what they termed "Taiwan independence separatist forces" operating on the island.
Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) revealed that Taiwan has strategically positioned naval vessels and combat aircraft to counter any potential provocative actions from the Chinese forces. During a press briefing at the Legislative Yuan (立法院, Taiwan's parliament), Koo emphasized that Taiwan's sophisticated joint surveillance system remains in continuous operation, tracking every movement of the Chinese fleet. The defense minister pointedly criticized the PLA leadership for creating regional tensions while failing to address what he described as significant internal problems, particularly widespread corruption within their military ranks.
MND spokesperson Major General Sun Li-fang (孫立方) clarified that while Taiwan's forces are closely monitoring the Chinese military maneuvers, authorities have not yet elevated the island's defensive posture to immediate combat readiness. "Our surveillance assets are tracking all movements with precision," Sun stated during a separate media briefing. Taiwan's naval command is paying particular attention to the Shandong aircraft carrier's current position southeast of the island, while simultaneously monitoring related PLA activities along China's southeastern coastline facing Taiwan. ★
