Taiwan said it has detected 12 Chinese aircraft and 7 Chinese naval vessels amid ongoing tension in the region.
12 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 5 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwans southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly, the island nations Ministry of National Defence (MND) posted on X.
The Ministry earlier found 22 PLA aircraft and 8 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan.
What is the basis of Chinas claim over Taiwan?
The basis of Chinas claim over Taiwan dates back to 1945 when Japan lost its control over the island in 1945,post-World War Two.
The 1949 Chinese civil war led to communists taking control and Chiang Kai-shek the one who lost fled to Taiwan. He ruled it for many decades. This is where Chinas claim to Taiwan emanates.
The very fact that Chiang Kai-shek came to Taiwan and was not indigenous to the place is Taiwans argument against the claim.
Why is Taiwan important to China?
A lot of things actually, which of course are related to Taiwan but not necessarily direct to Taiwan. Its more about (Chinas) relationship changing with the United States or we should say Western Countries, mainly the United States and China. Taiwan then happens to become a key player and main actor in this dynamics, said Alice.
100 miles from the coast of China, Taiwan is an island, that is located in the first island chain, this positioning makes it crucial to the US foreign policy.
US-Sino relations hinge on, One China Policy, it acknowledges that, there is only one Chinese Government. The US recognises its formal ties with China. With Taiwan the US shares independent strong unofficial relations.
