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MND on military drills
The Ministry of National Defense has explained that Taiwan's naval drills last month were routine exercises based on the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea.
The MND says to minimize "interference" with each other when encountering vessels from other countries, such drills are necessary and have been conducted before. It also stresses that they only involved communications and did not include dynamic maritime operational drills.
The comments come after Reuters reported that Taiwan and the United States "quietly conducted joint drills in the Pacific in April that, officially, did not take place." The report was based on four unnamed sources, with one of them saying that about half a dozen navy ships from both sides, including frigates and supply and support vessels, participated in the days-long exercises.
The drills were reportedly designed to practice "basic" operations such as communications, refuelling and resupply.
