China conducts 'enforcement actions' in Taiwan's eastern waters; former US official urges Taiwan to boost defense

China has announced it is conducting "maritime traffic special enforcement actions" in Taiwan's eastern waters, deploying large coast guard and survey vessels, some reportedly reaching 10,000 tons. Beijing claims these actions are to exercise its maritime administrative jurisdiction.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council strongly refuted China's claims, labeling them as "unprovoked incidents" that infringe upon Taiwan's sovereign rights and maritime zones. The council stated unequivocally that such actions would not be accepted.

Meanwhile, David Feith, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and former senior director at the U.S. National Security Council, urged Taiwan to significantly increase its defense expenditure. He criticized certain political factions within Taiwan, specifically mentioning some within the Kuomintang (KMT), for obstructing funding for asymmetric warfare capabilities. Feith described these actions as not just disappointing but potentially provocative, suggesting they might signal weakness to Beijing.

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The Republic of China's rights over its territorial waters and economic zones cannot be infringed upon by any country. The other side is creating unprovoked incidents, and we absolutely do not accept this.

In other news, a fraud case involving a wealthy woman in Hsinchu resulted in her being defrauded of over NT$42.79 million. The fraud ring used a system to deposit money back into the victim's account, creating a false sense of legitimacy for the investment scheme. The court has sentenced individuals involved in the scheme.

Additionally, Taiwan's purchase of 66 F-16 C/D Block 70 fighter jets from the United States is proceeding, with the first aircraft expected to arrive by year's end. The Air Force confirmed the jets will be equipped with an internal AN/ALQ-254 electronic warfare system, making Taiwan one of the first users. However, the Air Force declined to confirm if this system has passed U.S. military tactical testing and is fully compatible with the aircraft's AESA radar to counter current threats.

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The behavior of some within the KMT, unwilling to fund asymmetric warfare, is worse than disappointing; it is provocative and may signal weakness to Beijing.