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Daily News Analysis

TAIWAN STRAIT

27th May, 2024 Geography

TAIWAN STRAIT

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Picture Courtesy: https://www.newsx.com/top-news/taiwan-reports-massive-incursion-49-chinese-aircraft-19-vessels-detected-near-its-territory/

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.

Source:

newsx

Britannica

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Which two bodies of water are connected to the Taiwan Strait:

A) East China Sea and Yellow Sea

B) South China Sea and East China Sea

C) Philippine Sea and Pacific Ocean

D) Sea of Japan and Korean Strait

Answer: B