TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's defense officials have detected China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning (遼寧號), operating in waters southeast of the island, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND, 國防部) announced on Wednesday (May 28). Military authorities have activated comprehensive monitoring systems, employing coordinated intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance, and maritime reconnaissance to track the vessel's movements.
Defense officials declined to address rumors circulating about possible Chinese military drills coinciding with the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival (端午節) — a significant traditional holiday celebrated across Mandarin-speaking regions. Colonel Hu Chung-hua (胡中華), a senior intelligence officer from the Office of Deputy Chief of General Staffs (DCGS)/Intelligence (情次室情研中心), emphasized Taiwan's strategic posture of preparedness and vigilance. The military maintains a policy of anticipatory planning to safeguard security across the Taiwan Strait, the 110-mile waterway separating the island from mainland China.
The defense ministry's operational protocols include a graduated response system that adapts to evolving threat assessments, according to Colonel Su Tongwei (蘇統偉), deputy director of the Office of DCGS/Operation and Planning (作計室聯合作戰計畫處). These measures range from activating specialized response centers to heightening overall military readiness. Su revealed that Taiwan's armed forces have finalized comprehensive contingency plans designed to counter various Chinese military scenarios, developed in accordance with the recently implemented Guidelines for National Critical Infrastructure Protection (國家關鍵基礎設施安全防護指導綱要).
Colonel Hu emphasized the defense ministry's commitment to maintaining an objective threat assessment process that considers diverse analytical perspectives when evaluating potential Chinese military actions. His colleague Colonel Su detailed Taiwan's multi-layered approach to infrastructure security, which incorporates regular readiness patrols, lessons from the annual Han Kuang exercises — Taiwan's largest military drills simulating a Chinese invasion — and insights gained from year-round combat preparedness training programs conducted across the island's armed forces.
