Taiwan reports eight Chinese aircraft, five navy vessels near its territory

The Ministry of National Defence (MND) of Taiwan detected eight aircraft from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and five naval vessels from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) near its territory as of 6:00 am (UTC+8) on Saturday.

It was also noted that four of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). The details were shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“8 PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 4 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly,” the ministry stated.

Earlier, on January 10, the Ministry detected four aircraft from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and six naval vessels from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) as of 6:00 am (UTC+8), with three of the aircraft crossing the median line and entering Taiwan’s northern and southwestern ADIZ.

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.