China escalates Taiwan patrols

Why it matters

Taiwan said on May 26 that it had sent ships and fighter jets to monitor a second Chinese “joint combat readiness patrol” in one week near the island, as Beijing kept up military pressure across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan’s defense ministry said it detected 21 Chinese aircraft, including J-16 fighters and drones, operating with warships around Taiwan late on Monday. The patrol followed another readiness operation days earlier, according to Taiwan’s public military updates. Senior Taiwanese officials said the activity was “unprovoked” and said the government was watching for further moves after recent talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing. ### How unusual was a second patrol in one week? May 26 was the second time in a week that Taiwan publicly reported a Chinese “joint combat readiness patrol” near the island. Reuters, citing Taiwan’s government, said the back-to-back operations had put Taipei on higher alert over Beijing’s intentions. Taiwan’s military uses the term for coordinated air and naval activity around the island. (wifc.com) May 22 was the date of an earlier public update from Taiwan’s military showing Chinese activity around the island, with six PLA aircraft and 10 Chinese navy ships detected in the reporting window. Taiwan’s air force command said all six aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered northern, southwestern and eastern parts of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. (wifc.com) ### What exactly did Taiwan say it saw? Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said 21 Chinese aircraft were involved in the latest activity, along with warships operating around the island. Reuters and other outlets, citing Taiwan’s statement, said the aircraft included J-16 fighters and drones. Taiwan said its armed forces monitored the situation and employed combat air patrol aircraft, navy ships and coastal missile systems in response. (air.mnd.gov.tw) Late Monday was when the latest patrol was detected, according to the reports citing Taiwan’s defense ministry. The operation covered areas around Taiwan rather than a single approach corridor, underscoring the coordinated nature of the air and naval movement described by Taipei. ### What did Taiwanese officials say about Beijing’s intent? (wifc.com) Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council, said on May 26 that the Chinese military activity was “unprovoked,” according to Reuters reporting published by the Taipei Times. Wu said China was the “sole source of instability” in the region. He also said Taiwan was on high alert for further People’s Republic of China actions after Xi’s recent discussion of Taiwan with Trump in Beijing earlier in May. (wifc.com) More than 100 Chinese ships had been deployed along the First Island Chain, Wu said, according to the same Reuters report. Another Taiwanese official cited in that report said those vessels remained in place. ### Why does Taiwan publish these daily counts? Taiwan’s military regularly releases daily tallies of Chinese aircraft and ships around the island. Those updates typically specify how many aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, and they list the military assets Taiwan says it used in response. (taipeitimes.com) The disclosures have become one of Taipei’s main public records of Chinese military pressure. The median line and the air defense identification zone are not the same as sovereign airspace, but Taiwan treats repeated crossings as a security warning sign and responds by tracking, shadowing and publicizing them. Reuters said the latest patrol came as Taipei stepped up its guard over Beijing’s activities. ### What comes next? (air.mnd.gov.tw) Taiwan’s defense ministry is expected to continue issuing its daily public updates on PLA air and naval activity, including any new aircraft counts or median-line crossings. Joseph Wu said Taiwan was on high alert for further Chinese actions, and the next official details are likely to come through the ministry’s routine military updates and statements from Taiwan’s security officials. (taipeitimes.com) (wifc.com)

Key numbers

• Taiwan said on May 26 it sent ships and fighter jets after China carried out a second joint combat-readiness patrol near the island in one week.
• Taiwan’s defense ministry reported 21 Chinese aircraft, including J-16 fighters and drones, operating with warships around the island during Monday’s patrol.
• Taiwan said on May 26 that it had sent ships and fighter jets to monitor a second Chinese “joint combat readiness patrol” in one week near the island, as Beijing kept up military pressure across the Taiwan Strait.
• Taiwan’s defense ministry said it detected 21 Chinese aircraft, including J-16 fighters and drones, operating with warships around Taiwan late on Monday.

What happens next

• Taiwan said on May 26 that it had sent ships and fighter jets to monitor a second Chinese “joint combat readiness patrol” in one week near the island, as Beijing kept up military pressure across the Taiwan Strait.
• May 26 was the second time in a week that Taiwan publicly reported a Chinese “joint combat readiness patrol” near the island.
• (wifc.com) May 22 was the date of an earlier public update from Taiwan’s military showing Chinese activity around the island, with six PLA aircraft and 10 Chinese navy ships detected in the reporting window.

Sources

• wifc.com
• air.mnd.gov.tw
• taipeitimes.com

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