China's Increased Military Activity East of Taiwan and Taipei's Response

The military confrontation in eastern Taiwan is intensifying, with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) increasing the scale and intensity of its activities not only in the Taiwan Strait but also in the airspace and waters east of the island. In response, Taiwan (Republic of China) is strengthening its defense capabilities in its eastern coastal areas, which are crucial in the event of a conflict. The PLA's activities include continued joint combat readiness patrols across the Taiwan Strait median line and into Taiwan's southwestern airspace, alongside a noticeable increase in reconnaissance and surveillance operations to Taiwan's east and southeast. In September, fighter jets, bombers, airborne early warning and control aircraft, electronic warfare aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) repeatedly entered Taiwan's eastern airspace. UAVs, with their enhanced sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, are believed to be aimed at monitoring Taiwan's military infrastructure, particularly air bases in Hualien and Taitung, radar and air defense systems, naval and air force movements, and potential external reinforcement routes through the eastern waters and airspace. In Taiwan's defense planning, the eastern coast has been considered a critical rear area in wartime. If airports and ports on the west coast are attacked, eastern ports can serve as logistics hubs and lifelines for sustaining its warfighting capabilities. During the "Han Kuang 42" exercise earlier this year, Taiwan's navy and coast guard conducted drills to break a maritime blockade and transfer strategic supplies, demonstrating an intent to counter potential PLA blockades of Taiwan's Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs). The PLA has been increasing its presence in eastern waters using maritime law enforcement vessels in recent years and is systematically integrating UAVs into its operations. This is analyzed as an effort to build comprehensive intelligence on Taiwan's eastern military infrastructure and to provide targeting data for long-range precision-guided weapons, thereby enhancing the PLA's sensor-to-shooter capabilities. The deepening of PLA activities is also linked to Taiwan's expansion of military operations in the Western Pacific. The testing of the MQ-9B unmanned aerial system, military deployments to Orchid Island during the Han Kuang exercise, and precision munitions drills in eastern waters are providing the PLA with incentives to increase intelligence collection east of Taiwan. The reality is that Taiwan's east can no longer be treated as simply a protected rear area. Source: The Diplomat Indonesia