Taiwan has raised alarms over heightened Chinese military maneuvers in the region, reporting the detection of nine Chinese aircraft breaching the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait. Concurrently, Chinese warships engaged in what Taiwan termed “combat readiness patrols,” adding to the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.
Over the past four years, Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory, has consistently expressed concern about regular Chinese military patrols and drills near the island. These actions are widely perceived as China’s exertion of pressure on Taipei regarding sovereignty claims.
During the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in San Francisco, where Chinese President Xi Jinping met with US President Joe Biden, such military activities surrounding Taiwan had diminished. However, Taiwan’s defense ministry reported a resurgence, noting the detection of nine Chinese aircraft crossing the Taiwan Strait’s median line, an unofficial boundary regularly traversed by Chinese planes.
The involved aircraft included Su-30 and J-10 fighters, along with early warning and electronic warfare aircraft, according to the Taiwanese defense ministry. These aircraft were reportedly accompanying Chinese warships engaged in “joint combat readiness patrols.”
In response, Taiwan dispatched its own forces to monitor the situation. The Chinese defense ministry has not provided comments on the reported activities.
China has consistently justified its military activities near Taiwan by citing concerns about “collusion” between Taiwan separatists and the United States while emphasizing the protection of China’s territorial integrity.
Taiwan’s government, which has consistently offered dialogue with China, rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and asserts that only the people of the island have the right to determine their future.
Taiwan remains a critical point of contention between the United States and China, as evident in discussions between President Xi and President Biden during their recent summit. Xi reportedly emphasized Taiwan as the most significant and perilous issue in US-China relations during the four-hour meeting.
The tensions come amid Taiwan’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections on January 13, with relations with China featuring prominently in the election discourse.
While China has conducted large-scale military exercises around Taiwan over the past year and a half, its air force has not violated the island’s airspace. The latest developments underscore the geopolitical complexities surrounding Taiwan and the ongoing power dynamics in the region.
By Reuters
