Taiwan Tracks Chinese Military Ships and Aircraft Near Its Borders
On Monday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) reported that they had tracked seven Chinese naval ships and six military aircraft around Taiwan from 6 am on Sunday to 6 am on Monday. According to MND, two helicopters were tracked in the southwest and southeast portions of Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).
In a post on X, MND stated, “6 PLA (People’s Liberation Army) aircraft and 7 PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy) vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 2 helicopters entered Taiwan’s southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”
No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during that time. In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor the PLA aircraft.
Last month, Taiwan tracked Chinese military aircraft 423 times and naval/coast guard vessels 229 times. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics, which are efforts to achieve security objectives without direct and sizable use of force.
This latest incident adds to a series of similar provocations by China in recent months. China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ. China continues to assert its sovereignty over Taiwan and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.
Meanwhile, Taiwan has advised its citizens against traveling to China, Hong Kong, and Macao following Beijing’s threats to execute supporters of Taiwan’s independence. Liang Wen-chieh, spokesperson for Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, issued this warning in response to increased tensions with China. The advisory aims to caution Taiwanese travelers about potential risks under China’s new guidelines targeting supporters of Taiwan’s independence.
While travel is not prohibited, citizens are advised against expressing political views or engaging in activities that could lead to detention or prosecution by Chinese authorities.