China ups activity around Taiwan

Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Tuesday it detected eight Chinese navy ships, five official vessels and seven Chinese military aircraft operating around the island by 6 a.m. local time. The ministry said the seven aircraft entered Taiwan’s southwestern air defence identification zone and that Taiwan’s armed forces monitored the activity with aircraft, ships and coastal missile systems. The report followed a lower tally a day earlier, when the ministry said it had seen seven Chinese navy ships and four official vessels near Taiwan. The daily disclosures are part of Taiwan’s public accounting of Chinese military movements around the island. ### What exactly did Taiwan report on Tuesday? Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said on June 2 that it had tracked seven People’s Liberation Army aircraft sorties, eight People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels and five official ships around Taiwan in the 24 hours to 6 a.m. local time. The ministry said all seven aircraft entered the southwest sector of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone. The ministry said Taiwan’s military responded by assigning mission aircraft and naval vessels and by activating shore-based missile systems to monitor the situation. Taiwan uses the term “official ships” for non-naval Chinese government vessels, a category that can include coast guard or other state-operated craft. ### How did that compare with the previous day? On June 1, Taiwan’s defence ministry said it had detected seven Chinese navy ships and four official vessels around Taiwan by 6 a.m., without reporting any aircraft in that release. (mna.mnd.gov.tw) On May 31, the ministry said it had detected one Chinese aircraft, eight navy ships and four official vessels. On May 30, it reported 16 Chinese aircraft, eight navy ships and three official vessels. Those figures show that the ship count remained elevated across several consecutive days, while the number of aircraft fluctuated. Taiwan’s ministry publishes these counts each morning, providing one of the most regular official records of Chinese military and state-vessel activity near the island. ### Why are Japan and the Philippines coming into this story? Japan’s defence ministry said on Monday that China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning and accompanying vessels were seen operating in the Pacific east of the Philippines’ Luzon island between May 26 and May 28. (mna.mnd.gov.tw) Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force confirmed the movements and said aircraft took off from and landed on the carrier during the deployment, according to a Reuters report citing the Japanese bulletin. The Japanese disclosure placed Chinese naval activity farther into the western Pacific at the same time Taiwan was reporting repeated ship and aircraft movements closer to the island. The Reuters report said the activity came as China increases military pressure on Taiwan and as Japan and the Philippines deepen security ties. (usnews.com) ### What does Taiwan say it is doing in response? Taiwan’s military said on Tuesday that it was maintaining close surveillance and handling the activity with what it described as appropriate responses. The ministry used the same language in its June 1 and May 31 releases, saying it had monitored Chinese movements with mission aircraft, naval vessels and coastal missile systems. Taiwan’s government has for years published daily operational summaries as Beijing steps up pressure through air and naval deployments, including crossings of the median line of the Taiwan Strait and flights into Taiwan’s declared air defence identification zone. (usnews.com) Tuesday’s release did not describe any median-line crossings, but it did say all seven aircraft entered the southwest airspace. (mna.mnd.gov.tw) ### What should readers watch next? Japan’s defence ministry and Taiwan’s defence ministry are likely to provide the next public updates through their routine daily releases on Chinese ship and aircraft movements. Taiwan’s next bulletin is expected after 6 a.m. local time on Wednesday, June 3, based on the ministry’s reporting schedule. (mna.mnd.gov.tw)