Taiwan detects 8 Chinese naval vessels around its territory on Monday

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence reported detecting 8 Chinese PLAN vessels around its territory on Monday morning, up from 7 vessels on Sunday. The ROC Armed Forces monitored the situation and responded, noting no PLA aircraft were detected.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) said on Monday that it recorded the presence of 8 PLAN vessels around its territory. Sharing the details in a post on X, the MND said that it has monitored the situation and responded. "8 PLAN vessel operating around #Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded. No flight path illustration is provided, as we did not detect #PLA aircraft operating around Taiwan during this timeframe", MND wrote on X. 8 PLAN vessel operating around #Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded. No flight path illustration is provided, as we did not detect #PLA aircraft operating around Taiwan during this timeframe. pic.twitter.com/8Hv2Su5Bzm — 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) March 9, 2026

On Sunday, MND detected the presence of seven Chinese naval vessels operating around its territorial waters. In a post on X, the MND said, "7 PLAN vessel operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and responded. Illustration of flight path is not provided due to no PLA aircraft operating around Taiwan were detected during this timeframe."

Background of China-Taiwan Tensions

China's claim over Taiwan is a complex issue rooted in historical, political, and legal arguments. Beijing asserts that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, a viewpoint embedded in national policy and upheld by domestic laws and international statements. Taiwan, however, maintains a distinct identity, functioning independently with its own government, military, and economy. Taiwan's status remains a significant point of international debate, testing the principles of sovereignty, self-determination, and non-interference in international law, as per the United Service Institution of India.

Historical Origins of the Dispute

China's claim to Taiwan originates from the Qing Dynasty's annexation of the island in 1683 after defeating Ming loyalist Koxinga. However, Taiwan remained a peripheral region under limited Qing control. The key shift came in 1895, when the Qing ceded Taiwan to Japan after the First Sino-Japanese War, marking Taiwan as a Japanese colony for 50 years.

Post-World War II and Modern Status

After Japan's defeat in World War II, Taiwan was returned to Chinese control, but the sovereignty transfer was not formalised. In 1949, the Chinese Civil War resulted in the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland, while the Republic of China (ROC) retreated to Taiwan, asserting its claim to govern all of China. This led to dual sovereignty claims: the PRC over the mainland and the ROC over Taiwan. Taiwan has operated as a de facto independent state but has avoided declaring formal independence to prevent military conflict with the PRC, United Service Institution of India states. (ANI)

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