Taiwan records rise in Chinese incursion around territory

Taiwan detected seven Chinese Navy ships around its territory, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence said on Monday as of 6 am (local time).

However, no Chinese aircraft were detected, unlike the usual trends witnessed daily.

In a post on X, “7 PLAN ships operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. Illustration of flight path is not provided due to no PLA aircraft operating around Taiwan were detected during this timeframe.”

Earlier on Sunday, Taiwan detected one sortie of Chinese aircraft and seven Chinese vessels until 6 am (local time) on Sunday, a statement by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) said.

As per the MND, the sortie crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s southwestern ADIZ (Air Defence Identification Zone).

“1 sortie of PLA aircraft, 8 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 1 sortie entered Taiwan’s eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly,” the MND said in a post on X.

In recent weeks, China has been visibly boosting its ability to invade Taiwan with innovative new naval equipment.This includes the formal launching of an enormous landing helicopter assault (LHA) vessel, the likes of which no other navy in the world possesses, and the mass production of floating bridge docks to assist the unloading of ships during beach landings. Both types of equipment are strong indications that China is serious about invading Taiwan one day.

The Taiwan-China issue is a complex and longstanding geopolitical conflict centred on Taiwan’s sovereignty. Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), operates its own government, military, and economy, functioning as a de facto independent state.

However, China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and insists on the “One China” policy, which asserts that there is only one China, with Beijing as its capital.

This has fuelled decades of tension, especially since the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949), when the ROC government retreated to Taiwan after the Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong, took control of mainland China.

Beijing has consistently expressed its goal of reunification with Taiwan, using diplomatic, economic, and military pressure to isolate Taiwan internationally. Meanwhile, Taiwan, supported by a significant portion of its population, continues to maintain its independence.