Taiwan reports China’s military activity near its territory, detects 21 PLA aircraft, seven naval vessels

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) has said that 21 Chinese military aircraft, seven naval vessels, and one official ship were detected operating near Taiwan from 6 am (local time) on Sunday to 6 am (local time) on Monday.

According to Taiwan’s MND, 16 of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s northern, southwestern, and eastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

In response to Chinese incursions, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity.

Taking to X, Taiwan’s MND stated, “21 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 16 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation.”

This latest Chinese military activity adds to a series of similar provocations by Beijing in recent months. China has intensified its military activities around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ and military exercises near the island.

Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of gray zone tactics by increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating near Taiwan, according to a Taiwan News report.

Gray zone tactics are considered “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force,” the report said.

Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949. However, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.

On September 1, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said that China aims to annex Taiwan not out of concerns for “territorial integrity” but to “transform the rules-based global order” and “achieve hegemony,” according to Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

An interview on the local TV network, Lai emphasised that China’s goal of annexing Taiwan is not motivated by issues of territorial integrity.

Taiwan’s President said, “If the issue is truly about maintaining territorial integrity, then why don’t they reclaim the land ceded to Russia under the Treaty of Aigun?,” referring to the 1858 agreement between the Qing dynasty and the Russian Empire, which ceded approximately 600,000 square kilometres of land in Manchuria to Russia, Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

Lai Ching-te reiterated that Taiwan “can never agree to the ‘One China’ principle of the ‘1992 consensus'” because doing so would mean “effectively ceding Taiwan’s sovereignty” to China.

Furthermore, he also affirmed his commitment to continuing the policies of his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen. This includes modernising military training to make the armed forces “more confident” and advancing Taiwan’s submarine-building program.