Taiwan accuses “troublemaker” China of conducting massive naval exercises close to its coast.

Taiwan’s presidency has called on China to halt its “provocative acts” after the self-ruled island’s officials accused Chinese forces of ramping up military drills on its doorstep.

The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday it had tracked 53 military aircraft, 11 navy ships and eight civilian vessels near the island in the past 24 hours.

“These actions inject uncertainty and risk into the region, creating disruptions for neighbouring countries, and it confirms China’s a troublemaker that undermines peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

When asked about the increase in military activity, a Chinese government spokesperson did not directly confirm new exercises but stated that Beijing was taking “necessary measures” to defend the country’s sovereignty and counter “separatist Taiwan forces”.

“We will absolutely not let things go unchecked,” said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, at a news briefing on Wednesday.

“We take necessary measures to resolutely defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and safeguard the fundamental interests of compatriots on both sides.”

‘Trying to draw red line’
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, had been expected to launch drills to express its anger over Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te making a stopover in the United States during a recent tour of the Pacific nations.

Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claims to sovereignty over the island, saying only its people can decide their future.

Its military put its forces on high alert on Monday before warning the following day that China was deploying its largest navy fleet in regional waters in nearly three decades.

A senior Taiwan security official, offering the government’s assessment of China’s activities, told a briefing in Taipei that the heightened sea operations were “extremely rare” this time of the year, when sea conditions are usually rough, and were likely meant to send a message to the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump and US allies.

“They are trying to draw a red line and exert authority for the new master of the White House,” the official was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.

China has already staged two rounds of major war games this year near Taiwan, which faces the constant threat of a military attack and relies heavily on US arms sales for its defences.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, visiting a US base in Japan on Wednesday, said the US was monitoring China’s “latest activity” and would ensure “nobody does anything to change the status quo in the [Taiwan] Strait”.

“Again, our policy hasn’t changed,” Austin said. “We’ll continue to do what we can to help Taiwan acquire the means to defend itself.”