TOKYO, Jan 29 : China has permanently stationed four warships around Taiwan to deter the island in peaceful times and to prevent US vessels from approaching Taiwan in case of an emergency, Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Monday, citing sources in the Japanese government. The ships were initially deployed in August 2022 as part of drills held in response to former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. The warships are surrounding the island from three sides: north, south, and east, leaving the coast open and facing China, according to the map attached by the newspaper. One of the ships is west of the territories known as the Diaoyu Islands in China and the Senkaku Islands in Japan. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi did not comment on the situation during a regular briefing on Monday. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable. In response to visits by high-ranking US delegations to Taiwan in 2022 and 2023, the Chinese military launched large-scale drills near the island, in what it called a warning to Taiwanese separatists and foreign powers. (UNI)
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