Taiwan condemns 'dangerous' planned Chinese navy drill with Indonesia to its east

Taiwan's government has condemned "dangerous" planned Chinese navy drills with an Indonesian ‌warship off the island's east coast, saying Beijing was trying to create a false impression to the international community that it controls those waters.

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, and in June began coast guard patrols off the island's east coast, causing anger in Taipei and ​concern in Washington and some other Western capitals.

China's defence ministry said on Tuesday the drill, to take place in ​mid-August at a location east of Taiwan it did not detail, would be a "navigation exercise" with ⁠an Indonesian navy ship, a highly unusual move given China does not generally hold exercises with foreign militaries near Taiwan.

The Indonesian ​navy and defence ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Late on Tuesday, Taiwan's China-policy-making Mainland Affairs Council said the drill was ​a "military provocation" and Beijing should "immediately stop this dangerous behaviour that undermines the status quo."

Following a recent series of Chinese actions, including so-called "routine law-enforcement patrols" to the east of Taiwan, China is now attempting to conduct military exercises with "relevant countries" in waters east of Taiwan, it said in a statement.

"This ​is, in reality, political manipulation, 'exercises in name, expansion in fact', aimed at creating a false impression before the international community that ​the Chinese communists have jurisdiction over waters east of Taiwan," it added.

Taking lawmaker questions at parliament in Taipei on Wednesday, Wu Tien-jen, assistant deputy ‌chief ⁠of the general staff for intelligence, said the Indonesian warship China said would take part was on its way back from Japan rather than coming specifically to drill with the Chinese navy.

The ship was some 70 to 80 nautical miles off Taiwan's east, in the Pacific, he added.

"Militarily this does not have a direct impact on Taiwan," he said. "It has a geopolitical significance."

Taiwan's foreign ministry ​said separately that it had ​asked for a "clarification" from Indonesia ⁠on its taking part in the drill.