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Taiwan navy drills highlight US attempts to balance military commitments and fragile Beijing ties
- US and Taiwanese forces hold rare joint drills in move experts say is signal of support for island’s defence ahead of William Lai’s inauguration
- However, Washington is being careful not to ruffle feathers as it hopes to avoid major blow to its improving ties with Beijing, according to analysts
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Hayley Wongin Beijing
The Taiwanese and US navies have quietly held joint drills focused on communications – a move experts say could be an attempt by Washington to assert its military commitment to Taiwan without dealing a major blow to relations with Beijing.
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They added that such operations were key for Taipei’s endurance in the case of a military blockade imposed by the mainland.
The drills, first reported by Reuters earlier this week, were confirmed by Taipei on Tuesday.
Responding to a question about the report, Taiwan’s defence ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang said the island’s navy carried out routine drills with the US following the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea.
He added that the drills did not involve operational manoeuvres but focused on communications and were aimed at handling unexpected scenarios at sea and avoiding “interference” under various maritime conditions.
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The Reuters report said the drill lasted for “days” in April. Washington did not confirm the operation, nor did it deny the report, with US Department of Defence spokesman Pat Ryder saying he did not have “a comment on specific operations”.
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