Taiwan Monitors Increased Chinese Military Presence Near Its Airspace and Waters

Taiwan has detected a significant presence of Chinese military assets near its airspace and waters, reporting 27 Chinese aircraft and seven naval vessels operating around the Taiwan Strait as of 6 am Thursday.

The Ministry of National Defence (MND) of Taiwan noted that 19 of these aircraft breached the median line of the Taiwan Strait, entering Taiwan’s southwestern sector and eastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). The Taiwanese Armed Forces have responded to these activities accordingly.

“27 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. 19 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s SW and eastern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly,” the MND announced in a post on X.

This increased military activity comes amid rising geopolitical tensions between Taiwan and China. Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has expressed intentions to reunify it with the mainland, potentially by force.

Taiwan’s MND has been issuing daily reports on Chinese military activities, including incursions by aircraft, drones, and balloons across the median line of the Taiwan Strait. This tacit boundary has seen increased breaches by Chinese forces since the visit of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in August 2022.

In May alone, the MND reported tracking Chinese military aircraft 126 times and naval vessels 62 times. Since September 2020, China has escalated its grey zone tactics, which involve incremental military maneuvers to achieve strategic objectives without engaging in full-scale conflict.

Grey zone tactics are described as “efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that aim to achieve security objectives without direct and sizable use of force,” according to Taiwan News.