Taiwan reports surge in Chinese military and research vessel incursions

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said that on June 20 it detected five sorties of People’s Liberation Army Air Force aircraft, nine People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels and five official Chinese ships operating around the island, including one sortie that crossed the median line into Taiwan’s southwestern ADIZ. The following day the count fell to two PLA aircraft sorties, eight PLAN vessels and four official ships.

On June 19 Taiwan’s Coast Guard warned off the Chinese oceanographic research ship Xiang Yang Hong 22 after it entered restricted waters off Yilan County. Taiwanese patrol vessels radioed the ship, challenged its presence in the exclusive economic zone and used maneuvers to create waves, forcing the Chinese vessel to leave by early morning.

President Lai Ching‑te reiterated Taiwan’s objection to Chinese military expansion in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding seas, thanked G7 leaders for their support, and underscored that Taiwan’s sovereignty rests with its 23 million people.