China has deployed four or five warships near Taiwan, an island that China considers to be part of its own territory.
Newsweek reported the deployments Friday, but did so somewhat confusingly, citing the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun as reporting the presence of four warships but then listing the location of five.
“According to the report, China’s four warships are in critical locations around Taiwan and its neighboring territories,” Newsweek said. “One warship is stationed near Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture, the westernmost tip of Japan, while another is positioned between Yonaguni Island and the Philippines, Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
“Additionally, one warship is located in the waters southwest of Taiwan and another in the north of the island. Furthermore, one ship is permanently deployed to the northwest of the Senkaku Islands, which are the subject of territorial disputes between Japan and China.”
Newsweek did not explain the discrepancy, and did not link to the article it cited. An email to Newsweek seeking clarification did not receive an immediate response.
The deployments have raised tensions for both Taiwan and Japan, both important U.S. allies in the region.
“If Japan is left with an opening, there is a strong possibility that China will use force to intervene in the Senkaku Islands in the future,” said Yoji Koda, a former commander of Japan’s Self-Defense Fleet, according to Newsweek.
China considers the Senkaku Islands part of Taiwan, and therefore Chinese territory, the outlet explained.
“Japan must be fully prepared,” Koda added.
Will the United States go to war with China?
Yes: 0% (0 Votes)
No: 0% (0 Votes)
Some military analysts have pointed out that the Senkaku Islands are particularly threatened, with Chinese warships now on three sides of the Islands, Newsweek noted.
United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi were in Bangkok, Thailand, for talks aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region.
It was unclear whether the meeting between the two senior officials had already occurred or, if not, when it would be held.
Meanwhile, China’s military has taken aggressive acts against Taiwan, which would seem to indicate little interest on the part of the Chinese in calming things down.
“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army sent 33 aircraft, including SU-30 fighters, and six navy vessels around Taiwan, between 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday,” The Associated Press reported over the weekend.
“Of these, 13 warplanes crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait — an unofficial boundary that’s considered a buffer between the island and mainland,” the outlet said.
Adm. John C. Aquilino told an audience at the Pacific Forum on Friday that he anticipated China moving against Taiwan soon.
“The coercive pressure campaign against Taiwan continues, and we’re watching it in the wake of the elections,” the naval officer said. “I’m not sure what they’re going to do, but I expect some demonstration of force against Taiwan in the near term.”
An Important Message from Our Staff:
In just a few months, the world is going to change forever. The 2024 election is the single most important election of our lifetime.
We here at The Western Journal are committed to covering it in a way the establishment media simply will not: We will tell the truth, and they will lie.
But Big Tech and the elites don’t want the truth out. That’s why they have cut us off from 90% of advertisers. Imagine if someone cut your monthly income by 90%. That’s what they’ve done to people like us.
As a staff, we are asking you to join us to fight this once-in-a-lifetime fight. Without you not only will The Western Journal fail, but America will fail also. As Benjamin Franklin said, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
Will you support The Western Journal today and become a member?
A Western Journal Membership costs less than one coffee and breakfast sandwich each month, and it gets you access to ALL of our content — news, commentary, and premium articles. You’ll experience a radically reduced number of ads, and most importantly you will be vitally supporting the fight for America’s soul in 2024.
This is the time. America will live or die based on what happens this year. Please join us to get the real truth out and to fight the elites, Big Tech, and the people who want America to fail. Together, we really can save the country.
George Upper is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Western Journal and was a weekly co-host of “WJ Live,” powered by The Western Journal. He is currently a contributing editor in the areas of faith, politics and culture. A former U.S. Army special operator, teacher and consultant, he is a lifetime member of the NRA and an active volunteer leader in his church. Born in Foxborough, Massachusetts, he has lived most of his life in central North Carolina.
George Upper, is the former editor-in-chief of The Western Journal and is now a contributing editor in the areas of faith, politics and culture. He currently serves as the connections pastor at Awestruck Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is a former U.S. Army special operator, teacher, manager and consultant. Born in Massachusetts, he graduated from Foxborough High School before joining the Army and spending most of the next three years at Fort Bragg. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English as well as a Master’s in Business Administration, all from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He and his wife life only a short drive from his three children, their spouses and his grandchildren. He is a lifetime member of the NRA and in his spare time he shoots, reads a lot of Lawrence Block and John D. MacDonald, and watches Bruce Campbell movies. He is a fan of individual freedom, Tommy Bahama, fine-point G-2 pens and the Oxford comma.
