Taiwan sees only warships and warplanes in the strait

Taiwanese officials are tracking what they view as a worrying rise in Chinese naval activity and military pressure against the island, even as Beijing presses a message of peace and cooperation in meetings with Taiwan's opposition leader.



China's tactics are all the more unnerving for the Taipei government given the opposition continues to hinder a defence spending rise that Washington has pushed for.



The buildup also comes at a time with the U.S. focused on the conflict in the Middle East and President Donald Trump readying for a May meeting with China's Xi Jinping.



In a statement from Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo"China is continuously and persistently expanding its military capabilities, and the military threat it poses to us is becoming increasingly severe,".



Koo told lawmakers on Thursday amid anger among the ruling party over the decision by members of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) to skip talks on stalled defence-spending.



Taiwan has to show its determination to defend itself to the U.S. and other like-minded partners, he added.



China views Taiwan as one of its provinces and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future.