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Taiwan has detected 45 Chinese military aircraft near its airspace in the past 24 hours, the highest number this year, further escalating tensions between Taiwan and Beijing. The surge in military activity comes just a day after Taiwan condemned China’s “live-fire” drills off its southern coast, calling them a threat to regional stability.
Taipei’s defense ministry reported on Thursday that 45 warplanes and 14 naval ships were spotted operating near Taiwan, marking the largest military incursion since December 2023. Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has been ramping up its military presence around the island, using these maneuvers to assert its sovereignty claims – claims Taiwan firmly rejects. In response, Taiwan deployed its forces to “monitor, alert, and respond appropriately.” However, Beijing’s foreign ministry has so far declined to comment on the latest escalation.
Taiwan Calls for Global Attention
Taiwan’s foreign ministry condemned China’s actions, urging Beijing to “exercise rational self-restraint” and immediately cease military provocations. Taipei also appealed to the international community to “continue monitoring Taiwan Strait security and jointly condemn China’s military threats.” Concerns over Chinese interference in Taiwan’s communication infrastructure have also intensified. On Tuesday, Taiwan seized a Chinese-crewed cargo ship suspected of cutting a subsea telecom cable near the Penghu islands, an act that raised fears of a broader strategy to disrupt Taiwan’s connectivity as part of a blockade or attack scenario.
Taiwan remains a critical flashpoint in US-China relations, with Washington being Taipei’s most significant ally and arms supplier. Although the US is legally obligated to provide military support to Taiwan, its official stance of “strategic ambiguity” leaves open the question of whether it would directly intervene if China launched an invasion. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has already pledged to strengthen military investments and boost US trade ties to reduce dependency on China. His administration is also considering increasing American natural gas imports to further align with Washington.
The China-Taiwan conflict dates back to 1949, when Chiang Kai-shek’s nationalist Kuomintang forces fled to Taiwan after losing the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong’s communists.
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