Taipei, March 27 — Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence reported that it detected six PLA aircraft sorties, ten PLAN vessels and two official ships operating around Taiwan up to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) on Friday. In a post on X, the MND said four of the six aircraft sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s southwestern and eastern air defence identification zones (ADIZ).
The MND added that the ROC Armed Forces have been monitoring the activity and have responded to the incursions.
The episode comes amid the long-running dispute over Taiwan’s status. Beijing maintains that Taiwan is part of China, a position reflected in Chinese policy, domestic law and repeated international statements. Taiwan, by contrast, operates with its own government, military and economy and functions as a de facto independent entity, while avoiding a formal declaration of independence to reduce the risk of military escalation.
Historically, China’s claim to Taiwan has roots in several shifts of control: the Qing dynasty incorporated the island in 1683 after defeating Ming loyalists, but Taiwan remained marginal under Qing rule. Following the First Sino-Japanese War, the Qing ceded Taiwan to Japan in 1895 and it was a Japanese colony for five decades. After Japan’s defeat in World War II the island was returned to Chinese administration, though a clear, formal transfer of sovereignty was not concluded.
After the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the People’s Republic of China was established on the mainland while the Republic of China government retreated to Taiwan; both sides initially claimed to represent all of China. That unresolved dual claim and the island’s distinct political development have kept Taiwan’s international status a sensitive and heavily debated issue, touching on questions of sovereignty, self-determination and non-interference, according to analyses such as those from the United Service Institution of India.
This report is based on official MND updates and syndicated news feeds.
