China's PLA Eastern Theatre Command has deployed new HQ-16F missiles, comparable to US Patriot systems, opposite Taiwan. State media reported the deployment following a Dutch warship's transit through the Taiwan Strait.
The deployment of advanced missile systems by China opposite Taiwan escalates military tensions in the region and signals Beijing's readiness to counter potential threats, impacting regional security and global geopolitical dynamics.
China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command has deployed new HQ-16F missiles, described as comparable to US Patriot PAC2 and 3 systems, to frontline troops facing Taiwan. State broadcaster CCTV aired footage of the 73rd Group Army, part of the Eastern Theatre Command, conducting an operational and live-fire assessment of the missile in the Gobi Desert. This deployment comes days after the PLA announced it had tracked and monitored the Dutch frigate De Ruyter during its transit through the Taiwan Strait. The PLA stated its forces would remain on high alert following the Dutch warship's passage. The De Ruyter had previously reportedly encountered electronic interference in the South China Sea, and its helicopter allegedly intruded into airspace over the Xisha Islands (Paracel Islands).