Taiwan flags threat from 50 Chinese vessels

TAIPEI – China has more than 50 navy and other official vessels operating in a wide swathe of sea stretching from southern Japan down to Taiwan and off the Philippines, a senior Taiwan official said, calling the threat level “obvious”. Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, is stepping up efforts to issue details and maps depicting locations where Chinese warships and Coast Guard vessels operate. “We’re staying vigilant about their activities,” said Joseph Wu, the secretary-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council. “The simultaneous threat to Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines is obvious.” The remarks on Oct 28 accompanied…