China Deploys Largest Naval Fleet in Decades Near Taiwan

China has deployed its largest naval fleet in almost three decades in waters near Taiwan, the island nation’s Defense Ministry said on December 10.

• China has nearly 90 naval and coast guard vessels in waters stretching from the southern Japanese islands to the South China Sea.
• This marks the largest Chinese-deployed naval fleet in the area since China held war games around Taiwan ahead of the 1996 Taiwanese presidential elections.
• 47 aircraft and 12 warships have been detected near Taiwan in the previous 24 hours, marking the largest number of aircraft spotted near the island in one day in the last two months.

Two ‘walls’: The Taiwanese Defense Ministry said China’s fleet is building two “walls,” one at the eastern end of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone and the other further in the Pacific.

They are sending a very simple message with these two walls: trying to make the Taiwan Strait an internal sea [of China].
—Hsieh Jih-sheng, senior ministry intelligence officer

Escalating tensions: China credited the visit of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te to the United States last week as the reason for escalating tensions in the region. China has previously launched military drills in response to such visits, prompting Taiwan to be on high alert.

Taiwanese defense officials said the large-scale deployment is a way for China to demonstrate that it is not only capable of isolating the island but can also prevent U.S. allies like Japan and the Philippines from helping Taiwan.

Taiwan betrayal: While the U.S. can be considered a strong ally for Taiwan, it does not have the long-term determination to stand up to China. Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has long forecast Taiwan’s eventual fall to China. In 1998, he wrote “Taiwan Betrayal,” stating:

How could anyone fail to see that Taiwan is destined to become a part of mainland China? These [23.4] million people are going to be forced into the Chinese mold; and it is going to happen for one reason: because of a pitifully weak-willed America.