According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND), Chinese forces were again active in the air and at sea near the island early Friday. As of 6 am local time (UTC+8), Taiwan detected two sorties of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, six People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels, and two Chinese balloons operating around its territory. The ministry said Taiwan’s armed forces closely monitored the situation and responded accordingly, confirming the developments in a public statement posted on X.
The latest detection followed similar activity reported a day earlier. On Thursday morning, the MND said it had tracked six sorties of Chinese military aircraft, eight naval vessels and one official ship operating around Taiwan as of 6 am local time. Of those aircraft, two crossed the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). Taiwanese authorities stated that standard monitoring and response measures were carried out in line with established defence protocols.
The renewed military movements come amid a parallel diplomatic dispute over a damaged undersea cable incident that occurred earlier this year. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has accused Beijing of “transnational suppression and political manipulation” after a Chinese public security agency alleged that Taiwanese nationals were behind a smuggling operation linked to the incident.
The controversy stems from damage to subsea communication cables off Taiwan in February, which triggered security concerns among Taiwanese officials. In June, a Taiwanese court sentenced the Chinese captain of the Togo-registered vessel Hong Tai 58 to three years in prison, ruling that he had deliberately damaged the undersea cables. The case was closely watched given the strategic importance of such infrastructure to Taiwan’s communications and national security.
However, China’s public security bureau in Weihai, located in Shandong Province, later claimed that its investigation found two Taiwanese individuals had orchestrated a multi-vessel smuggling scheme involving the Hong Tai 58. According to Chinese authorities, the operation allegedly involved the illegal transport of frozen goods into China and was uncovered through interviews with seven crew members of the vessel. These claims were reported by the Taipei Times.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council has firmly rejected the Chinese findings, dismissing them in an official statement and reiterating that the Taiwanese court’s ruling was based on judicial evidence and due legal process. The MAC warned that Beijing’s assertions appeared aimed at shifting blame and influencing public opinion beyond its borders.
Taken together, the renewed military activity and the sharp exchange over the undersea cable case reflect the fragile and increasingly complex state of cross-strait relations. As Taiwan continues to monitor Chinese military movements around its territory, the dispute highlights broader concerns over security, accountability, and political pressure in the Taiwan Strait, with implications that extend beyond the immediate incidents.
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