Taiwan Strait

The Taiwan Strait is the stretch of sea between the island of Taiwan and the Fujian province of mainland China. A strait is a narrow sea passage that connects two larger seas. The Taiwan Strait links the South China Sea in the south with the East China Sea in the north. It is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and one of the most tense military zones.

Where exactly is it?

Picture mainland China's south-east coast on the left (west) and the island of Taiwan on the right (east). The water between them is the Taiwan Strait.

• It is about 180 km wide on average, and about 126 to 130 km at its narrowest point. That is roughly the distance from Delhi to Meerut and back.
• It is shallow, mostly less than 100 metres deep.
• The Penghu Islands (also called the Pescadores) lie inside the strait and are held by Taiwan.
• The Kinmen and Matsu islands are also held by Taiwan, but they lie just a few kilometres off the Chinese coast of Fujian. This makes them very exposed.

Why does it matter so much?

• Trade route: Ships carrying goods between North-East Asia (China's northern ports, Japan, South Korea) and South-East Asia, India, the Middle East and Europe often pass through it. Estimates suggest that a very large share of the world's container ships pass through or near it each year.
• Semiconductors: Taiwan makes a large share of the world's computer chips and the great majority of the most advanced ones, mainly through the company TSMC. Phones, cars, computers and defence systems depend on these chips. A war or blockade here would disrupt the global economy.
• The first island chain: Taiwan sits in the middle of a line of islands running from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines. Military planners call this the "first island chain". Whoever controls Taiwan can more easily control movement into the Western Pacific.
• A natural moat: The water itself is Taiwan's biggest protection. Crossing 130 to 180 km of open sea with troops is one of the hardest military operations possible.

Where did the tension come from?

After 1949, the Nationalist government on Taiwan and the Communist government on the mainland faced each other across this strait. There have been three major military crises:

• First Taiwan Strait Crisis (1954 to 1955): China shelled the Kinmen and Matsu islands. The US signed a defence treaty with Taiwan in 1954.
• Second Taiwan Strait Crisis (1958): China carried out a heavy artillery bombardment and blockade of Kinmen. Supplies had to be brought in by sea and air.
• Third Taiwan Strait Crisis (1995 to 1996): China fired missiles into waters near Taiwan before and during Taiwan's first direct presidential election in 1996. The US sent two aircraft carrier groups to the area.

What is the median line?

The median line is an unofficial line drawn down the middle of the strait. It was set out in the mid-1950s (sources say 1954 or 1955) by US Air Force General Benjamin O. Davis Jr., so it is also called the Davis Line. It was never written into any treaty. For decades, both sides' military planes and ships mostly stayed on their own side of it, as an unwritten understanding that lowered the risk of accidents.

• Taiwan's defence ministry published coordinates for the line in 2019.
• China has never recognised the median line. In 2020, China's Foreign Ministry said it does not exist.
• Since August 2022, Chinese military aircraft and ships have crossed the line regularly. Analysts describe this as China "erasing" the line to create a new normal.

How does China use military drills here?

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), through its Eastern Theater Command, has held a series of large named exercises around Taiwan:

• Joint Sword (April 2023)
• Joint Sword-2024A (May 2024) and Joint Sword-2024B (October 2024)
• Strait Thunder-2025A (April 2025)
• Justice Mission-2025 (December 2025), which practised blockading key ports and areas around Taiwan

These drills test how China could surround Taiwan with ships and aircraft, cut it off from supplies (a blockade) or prepare for an attack.

What does the law of the sea say?

Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a coastal state controls a band of sea up to 12 nautical miles (about 22 km) from its coast, called territorial waters. Beyond that, ships of all countries have freedom of navigation. Because the strait is wider than 24 nautical miles, a broad central corridor is outside anyone's territorial waters.

The US and allies sail warships through it to show it is international water. China claims wider rights over the strait and objects to these transits.

India's interest

India is not a party to the dispute, but it has real stakes:

• A large share of India's trade with East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan) moves on sea routes near the strait.
• India's electronics and semiconductor plans depend on chips and investment from Taiwan.
• India supports freedom of navigation and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific, for example through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) with the US, Japan and Australia.
• Thousands of Indian nationals live and study in Taiwan, so any conflict would also be a safety issue.

Commonly confused concepts

• Taiwan Strait vs Strait of Malacca: The Taiwan Strait lies between Taiwan and mainland China. The Strait of Malacca lies between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, and connects the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea.
• Taiwan Strait vs Luzon Strait (Bashi Channel): The Luzon Strait lies south of Taiwan, between Taiwan and the Philippines. It links the South China Sea with the Pacific Ocean.
• Median line vs maritime boundary: The median line is an unofficial, unwritten military understanding. A maritime boundary is a legal line agreed by treaty or decided by a court.
• Blockade vs quarantine: A blockade is a military act to stop all ships from entering or leaving. A "quarantine" usually means a narrower check on selected ships, often by coast guards. Both are discussed as ways China could pressure Taiwan.
• Kinmen and Matsu vs Penghu: Kinmen and Matsu lie right next to China's coast. Penghu lies in the middle of the strait, closer to Taiwan.

Issues, criticism and the way forward

• Accident risk: With the median line no longer respected, many planes and ships operate close together. A collision or a mistake could start a crisis nobody planned.
• Economic shock: A blockade would hit chip supply, shipping and insurance costs worldwide, affecting countries far from the region, including India.
• Arms race: China's growing military power and Taiwan's rising spending feed each other. Critics say this makes the region less stable. Supporters of Taiwan's spending say only strong defence keeps the peace.
• No crisis hotline: There is no reliable channel between Beijing and Taipei to calm a sudden crisis. Experts suggest crisis-communication links and rules for safe encounters at sea and in the air.
• Way forward: Most governments, including India's, call for peace and stability in the region and for differences to be settled through dialogue without force.

Concepts to Know

• Strait: A narrow strip of sea joining two larger bodies of water, such as the Strait of Hormuz or the Strait of Malacca.
• Nautical mile: A unit used at sea and in the air. One nautical mile is 1.852 km.
• Freedom of navigation: The right of ships of every country to pass through international waters without permission from any coastal state.
• First island chain: The line of islands from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines that marks the edge of China's nearby seas.
• Theater Command: A regional military command. China's Eastern Theater Command covers the area facing Taiwan.