Japan, US deploy assets near Taiwan amid Chinese military buildup

An E-2D Hawkeye launches from USS Ronald Reagan on 2 August in the Philippine Sea. (US Navy)

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the US Navy (USN) have deployed several military assets in the Philippine Sea near Taiwan amid the recent build-up of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces around the island.

The deployments include the flagship of the USN's Carrier Strike Group 5, USS Ronald Reagan , and the JMSDF's Murasame-class destroyer, JS Yudachi .

The JMSDF has also deployed an unspecified number of P-3C maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) to monitor the movement of a PLA Navy (PLAN) Jiangdao (Type 056/056A)-class corvette, Xiaogan (615), that was said to be in close proximity of Japanese maritime territories near Taiwan.

The PLA announced on 2 August that it would be conducting an expansive series of military drills around Taiwan. The announcement came after a highly controversial visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her delegation to the island, which Beijing views as a violation of its sovereignty.

According to the announcement, the exercises have been scheduled to take place from 4 to 7 August in six demarcated areas around the Taiwanese island. However, images and reports from China's state-affiliated outlets indicate that certain operations took place ahead of these dates.

Citing information and videos from the PLA's Eastern Theatre Command, state-owned English newspaper Global Times reported on 4 August that the Luyang II (Type 052C)-class destroyer, Changchun , and the Luyang III (Type 052D)-class warship, Nanjing , have arrived in waters near Taiwan for the military exercises.