Taiwan Strait

About Taiwan Strait

• The Taiwan Strait is a strategically significant and geopolitically sensitive body of water separating mainland China from the island of Taiwan.
• Approximately 180 kilometers wide at its broadest point and narrowing to about 130 kilometers, it connects the South China Sea to the East China Sea.
• The strait is relatively shallow, with depths averaging around 70 meters (230 feet), and encompasses the Pescadores (Penghu) Islands, which are administered by Taiwan. ​
• The strait was named Formosa (“Beautiful”) by Portuguese navigators in the late 16th century; although it is still known in the West by its European name, the Chinese and now most Westerners use the name Taiwan Strait.
• The strait is also one of the most important fishing grounds in China, and more than a hundred economically important fish species are found here.
• The Taiwan Strait is vital for global trade, with nearly 40% of the world's container ships passing through it annually.

Taiwan Strait History

• The Taiwan Strait has been a focal point of military and political tensions since the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
• Following the retreat of the Nationalist government to Taiwan, the strait became a de facto boundary between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC).
• Notable flashpoints include the Taiwan Strait Crises of 1954–55 and 1958, during which the PRC conducted artillery bombardments of ROC-held islands, prompting U.S. intervention to deter further escalation.