Taiwan detects 7 Chinese aircraft near its territory amid tensions

Taiwan detected seven sorties of People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, seven People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels and one ship operating near Taiwan until 6 am (local time) on Saturday.

According to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND), all seven sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern and 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.

Sharing a post on X, MND wrote, "7 sorties of PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 7 out of 7 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded."

On Friday, MND detected five sorties of PLA aircraft, seven PLAN vessels and one ship operating near Taiwan until 6 am (local time).

One out of five sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ.

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.

China and Taiwan have frequently accused one another of spying, and Taiwan has arrested several people it says Beijing has hired to get intelligence or sway public opinion. According to RFA, Beijing usually rejects any role in espionage operations against Taiwan, referring to the charges as "politically motivated" or "groundless.

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the Carter Center and Emory University in Atlanta revealed that over half of the Chinese population opposed using force to unify with Taiwan under any circumstances, as reported by Taipei Times.

The findings, released on Wednesday in a report titled "Sovereignty, Security, and US-China Relations: Chinese Public Opinion," indicated that 55.1 per cent of participants either agreed or somewhat agreed that "the Taiwan issue should not be resolved through force under any circumstances. In comparison, 24.5 per cent either 'strongly or somewhat' disagreed with this statement, according to Taipei Times.