Taiwan

The US State Department has expressed significant concerns about the recent military exercises conducted by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding regions. In an official statement, the department described the PLA's actions as unnecessary and a potential catalyst for heightened tensions in the area.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported that 25 Chinese military aircraft, along with seven naval vessels and four official ships, were detected near Taiwan until 8 a.m. local time today. Out of these, 16 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, entering Taiwan's southwestern and eastern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

China deployed fighter jets and warships to encircle Taiwan on Monday, in drills Beijing said were aimed at sending a "stern warning" to "separatist" forces on the self-ruled island.

Beijing has not ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control, and Monday's drills represent its fourth round of large-scale war games in the past two years.

A senior Chinese military official warned the United States to stop "collusion" with Taiwan while top White House aide Jake Sullivan stressed the importance of stability in the tense Strait in a rare one-on-one meeting Thursday, both sides said.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said Wednesday that China was attempting to force the self-ruled island into submission but that it would not bow to pressure.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it will never renounce the use of force to bring it under Beijing's control.

A Chinese nuclear submarine has been spotted surfacing in the Taiwan Strait, according to reports from Taipei. Taiwan's defense minister confirmed today that authorities are closely monitoring the situation after images of a surfaced Chinese nuclear-powered submarine near Taiwanese fishing vessels circulated online, as reported by Reuters.

China has ended two days of military drills around Taiwan that saw jets loaded with live munitions and warships practise seizing and isolating the self-ruled island.

The exercises simulated strikes targeting Taiwan's leaders as well as its ports and airports to "cut off the island's 'blood vessels'", Chinese military analysts told state media.

An outdoor screen shows a news coverage of China's military drills around Taiwan, in Beijing on May 23, 2024.

China warned on Friday that Taiwan's leadership was pushing the self-ruled island into "a perilous situation of war and danger" and that it would go "further" if provoked, as Beijing conducted military drills around the territory.

Taiwanese air force Mirage 2000 fighter jets wait for take off at a base in Hsinchu in northern Taiwan on May 23, 2024.

China on Thursday encircled Taiwan with naval vessels and military aircraft in war games, as it vowed the blood of "independence forces" on the self-ruled island would flow.

Taiwan's freshly sworn-in president, Lai Ching-te, delivered a stern message to China, calling for an end to its military and political threats, as detailed in a report by Reuters. Lai used his inaugural speech as a platform to emphasize the imperative of peace, stressing that China must acknowledge and respect the democratic decisions made by the people of Taiwan.