Taiwan keeps close watch as China steps up military moves

Taiwan’s navy and air force had another busy day last Monday as they tracked Chinese military planes and ships moving around the island. This follows a similar patrol just six days earlier, showing how Beijing keeps raising pressure on Taipei. Taiwan noticed 21 Chinese aircraft—including fighter jets and drones—along with several warships operating all around the island during what China calls a “joint combat readiness patrol. ” The two sides see the same waters differently. Taiwan says it controls these areas, while China insists the island belongs to Beijing. Late Monday, Taiwan’s defence ministry posted three photos taken by its own forces—one showed two Chinese fighters trailing a Chinese refuelling plane, another featured a Chinese destroyer named Yinchuan, and the third captured a Taiwanese sailor observing the same ship through binoculars. China has not yet commented on the patrol.These patrols are happening more often lately. Just a week ago, China carried out a similar exercise the day before Taiwan’s president marked two years in office. China has rejected his offers to start talks and calls him a “separatist. ” Meanwhile, over the weekend, Taiwan’s coast guard had a standoff with a Chinese coast guard vessel near the Pratas Islands, a group of small islands controlled by Taiwan in the South China Sea. Taiwan’s National Security Council also pointed out that about 100 Chinese ships are currently inside what’s known as the first island chain—a line of islands running from Japan through Taiwan down to the Philippines. This area matters because it acts like a natural barrier in the region.