US President Donald Trump has held talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping after dozens of People’s Liberation Army aircraft and naval vessels were seen circling the disputed island of Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense confirmed it had tracked 24 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval ships near its shores. Although self-governed, China has long-claimed the territory as its own and has ramped up its military activity in the region in recent months despte fears it could trigger Word War III.
Eighteen of the 24 jets crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, an imaginary line running down the middle of the steretch of water seperating the island from the Asian continent, and often considered an unofficial demarcation between Taiwan and China.
Taiwan has tracked 35 Chinese military aircraft and 39 ships so far this month alone.
It follows US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth claiming a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, 266 times smaller than China, “could be imminent” last week.
The US, China and other Indo-Pacific nations have ramped up military presence in the region as Beijing tests sovereign boundaries in both sea and air.
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping held talks over the phone, reports China’s state-run news agency Xinhua, though it isn’t known if the recent military buildup was mentioned.
The two nations’ relationship has frayed in recent months due to the introduction of Trump’s tariff policy which levelled a 145% blanket tariff on most Chinese goods.
China retaliated with its own 125% tariff on US goods before, Trump lowered the US tariffs on China to 30% and China’s retaliatory tariffs dropped to 10%.
In response to the dozens of Chinese aircraft and navy ships encroaching on Taiwanese borders, the nation dispatched its own jets and naval vessels as well as missile systems.
China has persisted with its ‘grey zone’ tactics, described as efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempt to achieve security objectives without force, since late 2020.
