How China’s military is slowly squeezing Taiwan

On June 24, eight Chinese fighters

flew across the Taiwan Strait

. Taiwan’s air force scrambled its jets in response, as they do almost every day. But this time, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft flew closer than they have before – right up to what is known as Taiwan’s contiguous zone, a buffer area just 12 nautical miles outside its sovereign airspace, before turning back.

The island’s Defence Ministry warned that any forceful entry into its sovereign airspace or waters would be met with a “counter-attack in self-defence”. Since then, Chinese military aircraft have come as close at least once more, according to a Taiwanese national security official.