Taiwan on Wednesday reported 13 sorties of Chinese military aircraft, 10 naval vessels and three official ships operating around its territorial waters.Taiwan’s ministry of defence said that its armed forces had monitored the situation and responded.“13 sorties of PLA aircraft, 10 PLAN vessels and 3 official ships operating around Taiwan detected up until 6am (UTC+8) today. Nine out of 13 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and responded,” the ministry said in a post on X.Earlier on Tuesday, Taiwan reported two sorties of PLA aircraft, 10 naval vessels and three official ships.In a post on X, the ministry said, “2 sorties of PLA aircraft, 10 PLAN vessels and 3 official ships operating around Taiwan detected up until 6 am (UTC+8) today. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and responded.”The latest naval deployment comes days after Taiwan concluded its five-day immediate combat readiness exercise, aimed at testing the military’s ability to respond rapidly to a surprise Chinese attack. The drills were held after China’s newest aircraft carrier, Fujian, transited the Taiwan Strait on June 24.Taiwan’s defence minister, Wellington Koo, said the exercise was intended to improve the military’s ability to transition swiftly from peacetime to wartime readiness, noting that the warning time before any potential Chinese attack was shrinking.China criticised the drills, with its Taiwan Affairs Office claiming they reflected the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s “malicious intent to seek independence by force”.Taiwan has continued to strengthen its defence capabilities as China intensifies military pressure around the self-governed island. According to news agency ANI, Taiwan’s first domestically built submarine recently departed from the Port of Kaohsiung for its latest round of sea trials, including submerged navigation tests, marking its 15th sea trial overall.The developments come amid Beijing’s continued assertion that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, while Taiwan maintains its own government, military and economy. China has stepped up naval and aerial operations around the island in recent years and has not ruled out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.China’s claim over Taiwan is rooted in a mix of historical, political and legal arguments. Beijing considers Taiwan an inseparable part of China, a position enshrined in its national policy and domestic laws and reinforced through its diplomatic stance.Taiwan, however, functions as a self-governing democracy with its own government, military and economy, and maintains a distinct identity. Its status remains one of the world’s most contentious geopolitical issues, testing the principles of sovereignty, self-determination and non-interference in international law.
