Taipei, Dec 13 (UNI): Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) on Saturday reported renewed Chinese military activity in the vicinity of the island, detecting nine sorties of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and seven vessels from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) operating around Taiwan.
According to the MND, four of the nine aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial but long-respected buffer and proceeded into Taiwan’s northern and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), raising fresh concerns over regional security. In a post on social media platform X, the ministry said, “9 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC 8) today. Four out of nine sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.” While the activity underscores the persistence of Chinese military pressure, officials noted a marked reduction in intensity compared with the previous day. On Friday, the MND had detected a significantly higher level of activity, recording 33 PLA aircraft sorties along with seven PLAN vessels around Taiwan’s territorial waters. Of those aircraft, 23 crossed the median line and entered multiple sectors of Taiwan’s ADIZ, including the northern, central, southwestern and eastern regions.
The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) recently released its annual report, sharply criticising Beijing for expanding repression and a worsening human rights record.The report points to the case of Taiwanese activist Yang Chih-yuan, who remains detained in China on what the commission described as politically motivated charges. It documents numerous instances of arbitrary detention and unfair prosecution, urging US lawmakers to confront these abuses in future diplomatic engagements with Beijing, according to The Taipei Times.
Established under the US-China Relations Act of 2000, the CECC is tasked with monitoring human rights conditions and the state of the rule of law in China, submitting its findings each year to both the US President and Congress.
President Donald Trump on December 3 signed into law legislation requiring the US State Department to regularly review and update guidelines on how the United States officially interacts with Taipei.
The Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, which Trump signed into law, says the US State Department should carry out reviews of contacts with Taiwan no less than once every five years. The law “affirms the value of US interaction with Taiwan, supports closer Taiwan-US relations, and stands as a firm symbol of our shared values of democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights”, Taiwan Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo said in a statement.
