Taipei — Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported detecting Chinese military activity around its territorial waters early Tuesday. By 6 a.m. (UTC+8), Taiwanese authorities said they had tracked nine sorties by PLA aircraft, eight vessels of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and two official ships. The MND added that one of the nine aircraft sorties entered Taiwan’s eastern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and that the ROC Armed Forces monitored and responded to the activity.
The announcement followed similar detections the previous day. On Monday the MND said nine PLA aircraft, 11 PLAN vessels and one official ship had been observed near Taiwan; three of those aircraft sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s southwestern and eastern ADIZ. In both instances, Taiwan said its forces kept the situation under surveillance and took appropriate response measures.
Separately, former U.S. defense official Ely Ratner, who served as assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs from 2021 to 2025, voiced support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after her comments suggesting Japan might assist in defending Taiwan. The Taipei Times quoted Ratner calling Beijing’s reaction to Takaichi’s remarks inappropriate.
Takaichi told Japan’s parliament on November 7 that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could be seen as “a situation threatening Japan’s survival,” language that suggested Tokyo might consider military involvement. Observers noted she is the first Japanese leader in decades to publicly raise the possibility that Japan could be drawn into a Taiwan Strait crisis.
Beijing reacted angrily to Takaichi’s comments, taking a range of retaliatory steps seen as aimed at pressuring Japan. Those measures reportedly included advisories against travel and study in Japan and delays in resuming imports of certain Japanese seafood. The Chinese consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian, posted a now-deleted message on social media that said Takaichi should be “decapitated,” according to reports.
The accounts above are based on reports from regional news outlets and syndicated feeds. Taiwan’s MND continues to publish updates on incursions and maritime movements, and tensions in the Taiwan Strait remain a focal point of attention for regional security watchers.
