According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND), until six in the morning (local time) on Monday, 29 PLA aircraft sorties, ten PLAN ships, and four ships were seen operating close to Taiwan.

Taiwan’s MND reports that 16 of 29 sorties reached Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern, and eastern Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ) after crossing the Taiwan Strait’s median line.
Taiwan’s military responded to Chinese actions by deploying coastal missile systems, planes, and navy vessels to keep an eye on the situation.

“Up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today, 29 PLA aircraft, 10 PLAN vessels, and 4 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected,” Taiwan’s MND said in a post on X. 16 of the 29 sorties penetrated Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ after crossing the median line. We have kept an eye on the issue.

As Beijing continues to establish its claims over the island, this episode is part of a recent trend of China’s more aggressive maneuvers surrounding Taiwan, raising worries about regional stability. Since 1949, Taiwan has operated under its own government. But China insists on ultimate reunification, even if it means using force, since it views Taiwan as part of its territory.

According to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA), Taiwan’s governing party this week reacted to mounting concerns about Chinese eavesdropping by mandating that its members disclose their travel intentions before traveling to China, especially Hong Kong and Macau.

Taiwan has detained a number of individuals it claims Beijing has used to get information or influence public opinion, and China and Taiwan have often accused each other of espionage. Beijing often denies any involvement in espionage activities against Taiwan, calling the accusations “politically motivated” or “groundless,” according to RFA.

Lai Ching-te, the president of Taiwan and chairman of the governing Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, said Wednesday that all party members must now report beforehand and file a follow-up report if they travel to China or engage with Chinese government officials.

Lai addressed the party’s weekly meeting, “Any betrayal of the party’s core values for personal gain must be met with strict disciplinary action and the harshest legal consequences,” according to the RFA report.

Lai highlighted measures, including as the need to report travels to China and improved internal training for party members to improve their understanding of legal obligations and national security.

According to the RFA report, he also demanded that party caucuses be given more authority to develop specific protocols and training programs for parliamentary and local council aides.

The measures come after earlier Chinese espionage probes targeted the DPP.