Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council, said in a post on X that the deployment had taken place over the past few days following U.S. President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Wu said China was undermining the status quo and threatening peace and stability in the region.

A Taiwan security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Chinese vessels had been detected before the Beijing summit but that the number operating in the region had risen above 100 in recent days.

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory, has repeatedly stated that it reserves the right to use force to bring the island under its control.

Taiwan rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and maintains that only its people can determine the island’s future.The reported increase in Chinese maritime activity came days after Trump referred to “the Taiwan problem” when asked whether he would discuss arms sales with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.

Trump said he would speak with Lai and noted that he had held what he described as a productive meeting with Xi during his state visit to China.“We’ll work on that, the Taiwan problem,” Trump said on Wednesday.

Taiwan has frequently reported heightened Chinese military and coast guard operations around the island, activities that Taipei says are aimed at increasing pressure on its government and testing regional security responses.

The latest deployment, according to Taiwanese officials, extended across multiple strategic waterways in East Asia, underscoring Beijing’s expanding maritime presence at a time of heightened geopolitical scrutiny in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding seas.

The launches took place on Sunday from the destroyer Choe Hyon, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), which said the tests were part of efforts to strengthen operational readiness and strategic deterrence.

KCNA reported that two strategic cruise missiles remained airborne for approximately 7,900 seconds, while anti-warship missiles flew for nearly 2,000 seconds. The projectiles followed designated flight paths over the West Sea of Korea, commonly known as the Yellow Sea, and struck their targets with what the agency described as high precision.

The missile tests were conducted from one of North Korea’s two 5,000-ton destroyers, both introduced last year as part of a broader push to enhance naval power. Images released by KCNA showed missiles launching from the vessel and Kim observing the drills alongside military officials.

State media also said Kim received briefings on weapons systems planned for two additional destroyers currently under construction. KCNA reported that he made an “important conclusion” following the review, without providing further detail.Kim expressed satisfaction with the tests, stating that they had strengthened the preparedness of the country’s strategic forces.

He reiterated that reinforcing nuclear deterrence remains the government’s top priority, according to the report.The latest launches add to a series of recent weapons tests by Pyongyang, underscoring continued advancements in both missile technology and maritime strike capabilities.