Navy on High Alert Ahead of PLA Exercises 昨起我軍機起降頻繁 海軍艦艇監視巡防

China has announced live-fire military drills in the skies and waters around Taiwan over four days, a response to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. On Aug. 2, there was a noticeable increase in the number of military aircraft taking off and landing at various airbases.

The Hai Bao returns to the naval base from the open sea. On Aug. 3 at Kaohsiung's Zuoying Naval Base, there were only a couple of naval vessels remaining at the base, including two La Fayette-class frigates. China announced it is holding live-fire military drills in the skies and waters of six regions around Taiwan for four days starting on Aug. 4, a direct response to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. 

Sun Li-fang, Spokesperson, Ministry of National Defense: “China's hegemonic mentality of using military force to resolve differences and destroy regional peace and security will not help its international image. It also hurts the feelings of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. We will counteract any actions that harm our national sovereignty.”

The exercises practically encircle Taiwan. Compared to the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1996, the live-fire drill zone in the waters off of Kaohsiung is clearly bigger and located just 20 kilometers from the Port of Kaohsiung. Zuoying Naval Base is on high alert and has sent numerous vessels out to sea on patrol. 

Chen Kuo-ming, Military Expert: “Warships can stay at sea for a longer period of time. That's what we're more worried about. Our naval ships may be busier these few days, but Air Force fighters have a limited time in the air so I think the Air Force's response has already ended. However, we must continue to be vigilant.”

At Chiayi Air Base, F-16 fighters were taking off and landing all morning. The air base said this was routine training, but the same thing was happening at Tainan Air Base and Pingtung Air Base. 

Resident: “I heard people say it's China making trouble.”

Pelosi's visit to Taiwan further strained the tense cross-Strait relationship to the breaking point. Two Chinese Navy Type 055 destroyers were spotted in the waters off of eastern Taiwan on Aug. 3 at a distance of 37 nautical miles from the Port of Hualien. However, Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology's live-fire missile tests at Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung were not affected.

海豹潛艦從外海開回軍港，3日上午的高雄左營軍港內，只剩包含兩艘拉法葉艦等少數軍艦在港內。受美國眾議院議長裴洛西來台影響，中國4日起將在台灣周邊六處海域和空域，進行4天大規模軍演。

國防部發言人孫立方說：「中共以武力解決分歧，破壞區域和平穩定的霸權心態，無助於它的國際形象，也傷害兩岸人民的情感。我們也會反制任何傷害我們國家主權的行動。」

中國軍演海域幾乎包圍台灣，其中南部海域相較過去台海危機，高雄外海的實彈射擊區域明顯擴大，離高雄港最近只有約20公里，讓左營海軍不敢大意，出動各式軍艦、出海監視巡防。

軍事專家陳國銘認為：「軍艦它可以在海上停留比較多的時間，這個是我們比較擔心的，所以其實，我們海軍的艦艇這幾天可能會比較忙，但是空軍的戰機，它停留在空中的時間有限，所以其實我覺得空軍的應對的話，其實基本上來講，算是告一段落，但是還是要持續警戒。」

不只海軍，嘉義空軍基地的F-16戰機上午出動多架次，從民宅上空飛過，雖空軍基地表示是正常訓練，但台南空軍基地跟屏東軍機場，同樣各式軍機起降頻繁。裴洛西抵台讓兩岸緊張氣氛升到最高點，中共解放軍2艘055型飛彈驅逐艦早上出現在花東外海，離花蓮港僅有37浬，但正在屏東九鵬基地做火砲試射的中科院3號試射不受影響，如期進行中。