Taiwan sees increased military activity with 21 Chinese aircraft around its territory

Taipei: On Tuesday, Taiwan reported that two government ships, six PLAN ships, and twenty-one Chinese aircraft were present in the area. Taiwan‘s Ministry of National Defense documented the Chinese action till 6 AM (UTC +8) and shared the information in a post on X. Twenty sorties were reported to have crossed the median line and penetrated the northern, southwestern, and southeast ADIZs of Taiwan.

Up to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today, 21 PLA aircraft, 6 PLAN boats, and 2 government ships were seen operating in the Taiwan area. Twenty sorties reached Taiwan’s northern, southwestern, and southeast ADIZ after crossing the median line. MND said on X, “We have kept an eye on the situation and taken appropriate action.”

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said that it had discovered nine Chinese aircraft sorties, eight Chinese boats, and two Chinese government ships operating in the area on Monday.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said on Sunday that it had seen two government ships, eight boats, and thirteen Chinese aircraft operating in the area. Taiwan recorded 47 Chinese planes and seven Chinese warships flying till six in the morning (local time) on Saturday, indicating an increase in activity. In light of this, the Taipei Times stated that Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications is debating changes that would mandate automatic identification systems (AIS) be installed on ships of all sizes in an effort to track ships close to Taiwan’s coastlines and stop Chinese incursions.

Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military drills will center on China’s growing use of “gray zone” tactics and the potential for an invasion by 2027, the Ministry of National Defense said in response to recent Chinese intrusions, according to Taipei Times.

The decision was made at a time when military leaders and security analysts across the globe are still pointing to 2027 as a crucial deadline for Taiwan’s defense plan.

China could try to attack Taiwan by 2027, according to an earlier warning from former US Navy Admiral Philip Davidson. Although Beijing refuted the assertion at the time, claiming it was a US ruse to increase military expenditure, the year has since been often brought up in defense planning debates. Last year, former US Indo-Pacific Commander John Aquilino reaffirmed that the US military had to be ready for emergencies before the 2027 timeline specified by Chinese President Xi Jinping.