Taiwan's military on alert amid China's air restrictions: What this means for the island ?

The Taiwanese government announced on Monday, December 9, 2024, that its armed forces have been placed on “high” alert after China imposed sweeping air restrictions off its east coast.

Taiwan's armed forces were placed on alert on Monday “high” after China imposed sweeping air restrictions off its eastern coast.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has set up “seven airspace restriction zones in the eastern regions of Zhejiang and Fujian”, two Chinese provinces across from Taiwan, Taiwan's defense ministry said in a statement.

The restrictions, it added, are in effect from Monday to Wednesday. Taipei also announced that it had detected Chinese military vessels and coast guards sailing near the Taiwan Strait and in the Pacific Ocean.

In response, Taiwanese authorities announced that they were engaging in “combat readiness maneuvers” and place their armed forces on “high”.

In its statement, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense indicated that it had “engaged in combat readiness maneuvers that take into account enemy threats, weather conditions and tactical positioning”.

In the process, Beijing said it wanted to “firmly defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity”, describing Taiwan as an “inalienable” part of China.

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These Chinese air restrictions and the presence of Chinese military ships near Taiwan come just days after Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te ended his Pacific tour.

It was Mr Lai's first overseas trip since taking office in May. The tour has been strongly condemned by Beijing, which opposes any official contact between Taipei and foreign countries.

“Unusual movements”

On Monday, the Taiwanese coast guard said it had detected “unusual movements” by seven Chinese coast guard vessels since Friday, the last day of Mr. Lai's tour of the Pacific.

“Any unilateral and irrational provocative act could seriously jeopardize peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and is not welcomed by the international community,”, Taiwan's defense ministry warned Monday.

Mr. Lai’s trip sparked strong protests from Beijing, and fueled speculation about a possible Chinese response.

According to Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taipei, China’s air restrictions can serve two purposes: “missile testing and simulating no-fly zones, which represent a state of airspace blockade.”.

Mr. Lai’s Pacific tour took him to two U.S. territories, Hawaii and Guam, an unincorporated territory of the United States that is home to several strategic military bases.

During his overseas trip, Mr. Lai visited: phone call with US House Speaker Mike Johnson, angering Beijing.

In response, China urged the United States to “stop sending the wrong signals” to “Taiwanese independence forces”.

Beijing also warned Taiwan against any attempt to “aim for independence with US help”, saying it would “inevitably fail”.

China considers Taiwan to be one of its provinces, which it has not yet managed to reunify with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. It does not rule out the use of force to achieve this.