Taiwan detects one aircraft, 8 Chinese naval vessels around its territory

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) on Saturday detected one sortie of People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, eight People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels and one official ship operating near Taiwan until 6 am (local time).

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

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.

Last week, Taiwan's ruling party responded to growing fears about Chinese spying by requiring its members to declare their plans before visiting China, particularly Hong Kong and Macau, according to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA).

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."

Taiwan's President and Chairman of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, Lai Ching-te, declared on Wednesday that all party members are now required to report in advance and submit a follow-up report if they visit China or interact with individuals connected to the Chinese government.

"Any betrayal of the party's core values for personal gain must be met with strict disciplinary action and the harshest legal consequences," Lai told the party's weekly meeting, as quoted by the RFA report.

Lai announced steps, including enhanced internal education for party members to increase their knowledge of national security and legal responsibilities, as well as the requirement to disclose visits to China.

He also called for tighter control over parliamentary and local council aides, with party caucuses being entrusted with creating an flag  certain procedures and training courses, according to the RFA report. The actions follow the DPP being the target of previous Chinese espionage investigations.