What is happening on the island? China surrounds Taiwan with a record number of warships
China has surrounded Taiwan like never before. A record 16 warships were spotted in the waters around the island over the weekend. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry considers this the latest case of the Chinese Communist Party’s massive campaign to intimidate officials in Taipei.
The activity by the Beijing People’s Liberation Army Navy followed drills earlier last week that saw 73 Chinese fighter jets fly across the dividing line of the Taiwan Strait and into Taiwan’s key air defense identification areas.
During the same period, nine Chinese vessels were reported in the waters around Taiwan for 3 consecutive days. An analyst told CNN that these are clear signs that the Beijing government is preparing for a possible invasion of the island.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, despite never having controlled it. The democratically self-governing island has been seeking independence for years, fighting the communist state’s attempts to isolate it from the rest of the world.
However, China has never ruled out using force to take control of Taiwan. The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, has also issued a direct threat regarding such a development.
