More aircraft, more ships, more often: How the PLA is pressuring Taiwan’s defences


In the first of a three-part series examining mainland China’s increasing military presence around Taiwan, SCMP details how coordinated air force, navy and coastguard drills and patrols have intensified over the past 18 months and what it could mean for the self-governed island’s defences.

Decades after a civil war in the middle of the 20th century led to the foundation of the People’s Republic of China, tensions between mainland China and Taiwan are surging again. Despite Beijing’s repeated calls over the years for peaceful reunification the military option has never been taken off the table.

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