Chinese jets cross the Taiwan Strait median line in Beijing's second combat readiness patrol in a week

Chinese military aircraft and warships carried out what Beijing calls a joint combat readiness patrol around Taiwan on 4 November, the second such operation in a week, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said. The ministry said that from late morning it detected 14 sorties by Chinese aircraft heading out to sea, and that 12 of them crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or its extension and entered airspace to Taiwan's north, centre and southwest.

According to the ministry, the aircraft included J-10, J-11 and J-16 fighters, KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft and YY-20 aerial refuelling tankers, as well as drones. It said the aircraft operated together with Chinese warships, and it described the patrol as harassment of the air and sea space around Taiwan carried out under that label.

The ministry said Taiwan's forces tracked the activity with joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets and responded by sending aircraft and ships and by using shore-based missile systems.

A busy week around Taiwan

The United Daily News noted that the patrol came after a similar operation on 31 October, making it the second military activity aimed specifically at Taiwan within a week. Newtalk reported that during the 31 October patrol the ministry detected 22 sorties, 18 of which crossed the median line into Taiwan's northern, central and southwestern airspace and over the western Pacific.

The latest patrol also follows an unusually heavy day earlier in the week. In a count published on 3 November, the ministry said it detected 49 Chinese military aircraft sorties, six warships and six official ships around Taiwan in the 24 hours to the morning of 3 November, with 31 of the aircraft entering airspace to the centre, southwest and east of the island. The United Daily News said the ministry's daily report released on 4 November recorded 22 Chinese military aircraft, seven warships and five official ships operating near Taiwan.

Coast guard pressure at Kinmen

On the same day, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration said four Chinese coast guard ships, with the hull numbers 14608, 14531, 14604 and 14530, sailed in a single column from south of Lieyu into the restricted waters around Kinmen in the afternoon. The coast guard said its patrol boats sailed alongside them, gathered evidence and broadcast radio warnings in Chinese and English telling them to turn away, and that all four ships had left Kinmen waters a little more than two hours later.

The coast guard said it was the fourth time in about a week that Chinese coast guard ships had intruded near Kinmen. It accused China of using law enforcement as cover to expand its claims and to undermine the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, and said its crews would respond without provoking and without backing down.

Defence minister urges vigilance

Defence Minister Wellington Koo, speaking to reporters on 4 November before a Legislative Yuan committee session, was asked whether the rise in Chinese air activity was linked to Taiwan's local elections at the end of the year. He said the activity showed that the military threat from China is always present and that the public should not take it lightly, adding that the ministry would disclose what it detects in line with its rules and keep its forces ready to respond.

Why it matters

Joint combat readiness patrols bring Chinese air and naval units together in coordinated operations close to Taiwan. Two in one week, on top of a 49-sortie day and repeated coast guard incursions at Kinmen, keep Taiwan's air force, navy and coast guard on frequent alert. Newtalk cited observers who said Beijing is using such operations to make the pressure routine, wear down Taiwan's defence resources and test how quickly it responds, especially during an election campaign.