Context: Taiwan has reported a significant presence of Chinese military aircraft and vessels near its territory during China’s military exercises in the Taiwan Strait.

About Taiwan Strait

• The Taiwan Strait is a 180-kilometer-wide strait that separates Taiwan Island from the Asian continent.
• It is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north.
• It is the subject of an international dispute over its political status, as the People’s Republic of China claims sovereignty and regards the waterway as “internal territorial waters” instead of international waters. This position has drawn strong objections from the United States, Australia, and France.
• It is home to many islands, including Xiamen, Gulangyu, Pingtan, Kinmen, and Matsu.
• A theoretical “median line”, also known as the Davis line, was defined down the middle of the strait by US Air Force General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. in 1955, after which the US pressured both sides not to cross it.