Taiwan Defence Ministry says it spotted 25 Chinese military aircraft, seven naval ships around its region

The aircraft and ships were reportedly seen between 6 a.m. on Friday (Nov. 22) and the same time on Saturday.

Thirteen of the aircraft crossed over the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the country’s southwestern and southeastern air defense identification zone (ADIZ). In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships, and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor Chinese activity, reported Taiwan News.

In this month, Taiwan has tracked  294 Chinese military aircraft and 130 ships so far.

What is the basis of China’s claim over Taiwan?

The basis of China’s claim over Taiwan dates back to 1945 when Japan lost its control over the island in 1945,post-World War Two. The 1949 Chinese civil war lead to communists taking control and Chiang Kai-shek the one who lost fled to Taiwan. He ruled it for many decades. This is where China’s claim to Taiwan emanates. The very fact that Chiang Kai-shek came to Taiwan and was not indigenous to the place is Taiwan’s argument against the claim.

The question is why is Taiwan important to China?

“A lot of things actually, which of course are related to Taiwan but not necessarily direct to Taiwan. It's more about (China's) relationship changing with United States – or we should say Western Countries, mainly United States and China. Taiwan then happens to become key player and main actor in this dynamics,” said Alice.

100 miles from the coast of China, Taiwan is an island, that is located in the “first island chain,” this positioning makes it crucial to the US foreign policy.

US-Sino relations hinge on, ‘One China Policy,’ it acknowledges that, “there is only one Chinese Government." The US recognises its formal ties with China. With Taiwan the US shares independent strong “unofficial” relations.