China reports tracking a US surveillance aircraft in the Taiwan Strait, a critical area.

Chinese military forces tailed a U.S. military aircraft as it flew through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, according to a statement by the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command. The U.S. aircraft in question was a P-8A Poseidon patrol and reconnaissance plane capable of long-range anti-submarine warfare. Senior Colonel Li Xi, a spokesperson for the command, stated that Chinese warplanes were deployed to monitor the U.S. aircraft’s flight and handled the situation in accordance with the law. He emphasized that theater command troops would remain on high alert to protect national sovereignty, security, and regional peace and stability.

The U.S. Navy did not immediately provide a comment on the incident that took place in the Taiwan Strait. China considers Taiwan as its own territory and is sensitive to foreign military presence in the region. Recently, Germany sailed two warships through the Taiwan Strait, marking the first transit by German vessels in over twenty years, which drew criticism from Beijing.

Notably, in 2001, an incident occurred when a U.S. surveillance plane collided mid-air with a Chinese navy fighter near the Chinese island province of Hainan. The collision resulted in the death of the Chinese pilot. The U.S. stated that its aircraft was in international airspace and attributed the accident to reckless flying by the Chinese pilot. Such events underscore the tensions and complexities surrounding military activities in the Asia-Pacific region.