The U.S. and Taiwanese navies reportedly conducted a secret joint exercise in the Western Pacific last month.
On the 14th (local time), according to overseas media, four anonymous sources stated that the exercise, which was officially unacknowledged, took place.
One of the sources said, "The exercise was called an 'unplanned maritime encounter,' which refers to an implicit agreement to claim that the exercise was not an exercise but the result of a chance meeting."
He explained, "It is similar to me eating at a restaurant and you happen to drop by the same place and share the same table."
The exercise lasted several days. It was revealed that six naval vessels from both sides, including frigates and supply ships, participated to practice basic operations such as communication, refueling, and resupply.
Another source also said that numerous military assets were mobilized for the exercise.
The Taiwanese navy told the media that it was merely acting according to the U.S.-promoted "Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea" (CUES) to handle unexpected scenarios at sea and minimize mutual interference. Without providing detailed explanations, they stated, "We often come into contact with other countries' vessels and conduct exercises as needed."
The U.S. Department of Defense declined to comment, but the reporting media explained that Admiral Tang Hua, Chief of Staff of the Taiwanese Navy, visited the U.S. last month to discuss ways to enhance naval cooperation between the two sides.
In recent years, the U.S. and Taiwan have been strengthening military cooperation amid China’s near-daily incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone and military exercises near Taiwan. However, such military exchanges appear to be conducted secretly, as China, emphasizing the "One China" policy, opposes any military contact between Taiwan and the U.S.
On the same day, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the U.S. and Taiwan to stop what it called the wrongful act of military collusion regarding this secret joint exercise.
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