Taiwan closely watches Chinese military patrol near its territorial waters

Taiwan Reports Second Chinese ‘Joint Combat Readiness Patrol’ in a Week

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence has confirmed that its forces responded to a second Chinese “joint combat readiness patrol” near the island in a week, according to a post on X. The incident comes after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month.

According to Taiwan’s National Defence Ministry, 29 Chinese aircraft, including fighter jets, and seven warships were detected operating around the island. Of these, 24 aerial sorties crossed the median line, an unofficial maritime and aerial buffer zone that runs through the middle of the Taiwan Strait.

The ministry reported that China had also deployed more than 100 ships up and down the first island chain, which stretches from Japan to Taiwan and into the Philippines. This is part of a series of military exercises by China in the region.

Taiwan’s National Security Council secretary-general Joseph Wu stated on X that China was conducting these patrols “unprovoked” and accused Beijing of being the sole source of instability in the Asia Pacific region.

The US has maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan since 1979, but has not spoken directly with Taiwanese leaders since then. The US is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and has recently approved a large-scale weapons package for its ally.

Source: Al Jazeera