Taiwan reports Chinese military activity near its territory

According to Taiwan's MND, 11 out of 17 sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). In response to Chinese activity, Taiwan's armed forces deployed aircraft, naval ships, and coastal missile systems to monitor the situation.

"17 sorties of PLA aircraft, 8 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 11 out of 17 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded," Taiwan's MND posted on X.

https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1912309970760056911

This incident follows a recent pattern of escalated manoeuvres by China around Taiwan, sparking concerns over regional stability as Beijing continues to assert its claims over the island. Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949. However, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.

Earlier on April 5, Taiwan began its largest annual military drills, the Han Kuang exercises, with experts suggesting that the extended 14-day war games are a response to China's growing "gray zone" actions and its potential for launching a full-scale invasion of Taiwan, as reported by Taipei Times.

According to Taipei Times, this year's drills began with continuous computer-simulated war games, utilizing the US-made Joint Theater Level Simulation platform. The live-fire segment of the exercises will take place from July 9 to 18.

The drills aim to simulate scenarios where the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) exercises escalate into an attack on Taiwan, according to Major General Tung Chi-hsing, director of the Ministry of National Defense's joint operations planning division.

The Han Kuang exercises would also replicate PLA "gray zone" activities, which are provocative or aggressive actions that stop short of open conflict, Tung explained at a news conference on April 4, as cited by Taipei Times.

On April 4, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu stated that the public once believed China's first strike would likely be a missile attack. However, it is now more realistic to expect a first strike involving maritime militia vessels, sand dredgers, and drones--tools commonly used in "gray zone" operations.

Wang, a member of the legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, emphasized that the military must be prepared to handle situations beyond traditional force-on-force conflicts. This includes responding to "gray zone" activities in accordance with international law, while preventing Chinese military drills from escalating into a full-scale invasion, Taipei Times reported. He noted that such complex scenarios require extensive planning and simulation, making the war games more time-consuming. (ANI)