Taiwan’s foreign ministry has condemned China’s increasing military presence around the island, describing Beijing as a “troublemaker” in the region. This strong statement comes in response to a significant uptick in Chinese military operations, with dozens of aircraft and naval vessels conducting maneuvers near Taiwan over the past week.
Escalating Military Activity
On Dec. 11 and Dec. 12, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported detecting 34 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and 16 People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels operating around the island. Of these, 22 aircraft crossed the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, encroaching upon Taiwan’s northern, southwestern, and eastern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). The Republic of China (ROC) Armed Forces responded by deploying Combat Air Patrol (CAP) aircraft, naval vessels, and coastal missile systems to monitor and counter the incursions. The PLA is China’s military.
This surge follows an earlier period from Dec. 10 to Dec. 11, during which 53 PLA aircraft, 11 PLAN vessels, and 8 official ships were detected in the vicinity. Twenty-three of the aircraft similarly violated the median line and entered Taiwan’s ADIZ.
Broader Military Posture
Taiwanese officials also noted that China has been conducting its largest maritime drills in years, spanning areas from the southern islands of Japan to the South China Sea. While Beijing has not officially acknowledged these drills, its foreign ministry redirected blame toward Taiwan, accusing it of provoking tensions.
China’s ramped-up military activity coincides with its ongoing opposition to any form of international recognition of Taiwan’s sovereignty, particularly interactions between Taipei and Washington. Despite the elevated activity, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), stated it does not view the current developments as a direct response to President Lai Ching-te’s recent U.S. visit.
U.S. and Taiwan’s Responses
President Lai, often labeled a “separatist” by Beijing, returned last Friday from a trip to the Pacific that included transits through Hawaii and Guam. The AIT emphasized that while Chinese military operations in the region are heightened, this pattern aligns with past large-scale exercises such as “Joint Sword-2024A” and “Joint Sword-2024B,” the most recent of which occurred in October. “The elevated activity in the East China Sea and South China Sea follows a broader increase in the PLA’s military posture over the last several years,” an AIT spokesperson noted.
The United States remains Taiwan’s most significant international backer and primary arms supplier. It continues to monitor the situation with concern, reiterating its commitment to regional stability.
A Region on Edge
China’s assertiveness in the Taiwan Strait has been a persistent threat, with Beijing refusing to rule out the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control. Taiwan, on the other hand, steadfastly rejects China’s sovereignty claims and continues to bolster its defense capabilities in response to the escalating military pressure.
Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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