Editing Taiwan Strait (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Taiwan Rivers Sediments.jpg|thumb|left|Distributions of rivers in Taiwan and their annual sediment loads]]

The Taiwan Strait is the body of water separating [[Fujian Province]] from [[Taiwan Island]]. The international agreement does not define the Taiwan Strait but places its waters within the [[South China Sea]], whose northern limit runs from [[Cape Fugui]] (the northernmost point on [[Taiwan Island]]; Fukikaku) to [[Niushan Island]] to the southernmost point of [[Pingtan Island]] and thence westward along the parallel {{nowrap|25° 24′}} N. to the coast of [[Fujian Province]].{{sfnp|IHO|1953|loc=§49}}  The draft for a new edition of the [[International Hydrographic Organization|IHO]]'s ''[[Limits of Oceans and Seas]]'' does precisely define the Taiwan Strait, classifying it as part of the [[North Pacific Ocean]].{{sfnp|IHO|1986|loc=[https://www.iho.int/mtg_docs/com_wg/S-23WG/S-23WG_Misc/Draft_1986/S-23_Draft_1986_North_Pacific.pdf Ch. 7]}} It makes the Taiwan Strait a body of water ''between'' the [[East China Sea|East]] and [[South China Sea]]s and delimits it:{{sfnp|IHO|1986|loc=[https://www.iho.int/mtg_docs/com_wg/S-23WG/S-23WG_Misc/Draft_1986/S-23_Draft_1986_North_Pacific.pdf Ch. 7.2]}}

{{Blockquote|''On the North:'' A line joining the coast of China {{nowrap|(25° 42′ N -}} {{nowrap|119° 36′ E)}} eastward to Xiang Cape {{nowrap|(25° 40′ N -}} {{nowrap|119° 47′ 10″ E),}} the northern extremity of [[Haitan Island]], and thence to [[Fugui Cape]] {{nowrap|(25° 17′ 45″ N -}} {{nowrap|121° 32′ 30″ E),}} the northern extremity of [[Taiwan Island]] ''(the common limit with the [[East China Sea]], see 7.3).''

''On the East:'' From [[Fugui Cape]] southward, along the western coast of [[Taiwan Island]], to [[Eluan Cape]] {{nowrap|(21° 53′ 45″ N -}} {{nowrap|120° 51′ 30″ E),}} the southern extremity of this island.

''On the South:'' A line joining [[Eluan Cape]] northwestward, along the southern banks of [[Nanao Island]], to the southeastern extremity of this island {{nowrap|(23° 23′ 35″ N -}} {{nowrap|117° 07′ 15″ E);}} thence westward, along the southern coast of [[Nanao Island]], to Changshan Head {{nowrap|(23° 25′ 50″ N -}} {{nowrap|116° 56′ 25″ E),}} the western extremity of this island; and thence a line joining Changshan Head westward to the mouth of the [[Han River (Guangdong)|Hanjiang River]] {{nowrap|(23° 27′ 30″ N -}} {{nowrap|116° 52′ E),}} on the coast of China ''(the common limit with the South China Sea, see 6.1).''

''On the West:'' From the mouth of [[Han River (Guangdong)|Hanjiang River]] northeastward, along the coast of China, to position {{nowrap|25° 42′ N -}} {{nowrap|119° 36′ E.}}}}

The entire strait is on Asia's [[continental shelf]]. It is almost entirely less than {{convert|150|m|sp=us|abbr=on|ft fathom}} deep, with a short [[ravine]] of that depth off the southwest coast of Taiwan. As such, there are many islands in the strait. The largest and most important islands off the coast of Fujian are [[Xiamen Island|Xiamen]], [[Gulangyu]], [[Pingtan Island|Pingtan]] (the "Haitan" of the IHO delineation), [[Kinmen]], and [[Matsu Islands|Matsu]]. The first three are controlled by the  People's Republic of China (PRC); the last two by the Republic Of China (ROC). Within the strait lie the [[Penghu]] or the Pescadores, also controlled by the ROC. There is a major [[underwater bank]] {{convert|40|-|60|km|sp=us|abbr=on}} north of the Penghu Islands.<ref>[http://map.openseamap.org Sea depth map].</ref>

All of Fujian Province's rivers except the [[Ting River|Ting]] run into the Taiwan Strait. The largest two are the [[Min River (Fujian)|Min]] and the [[Jiulong River|Jiulong]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

===Median line===
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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Micallef |first1=Joseph V. |title=Why Taiwan Will Be at the Center of the China-US Rivalry |url=https://www.military.com/daily-news/opinions/2021/01/06/why-taiwan-will-be-center-of-china-us-rivalry.html |website=www.military.com |date=6 January 2021 |publisher=Military.com |access-date=10 January 2021}}</ref> As a tacit understanding, it never gained official or legal status.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Zhao |first=Suisheng |title=The Taiwan Question in Xi Jinping's Era: Beijing's Evolving Taiwan Policy and Taiwan's Internal and External Dynamics |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2024 |isbn=9781032861661 |editor-last=Zhao |editor-first=Suisheng |editor-link=Suisheng Zhao |location=London and New York |pages= |chapter=Is Beijing's Long Game on Taiwan about to End? Peaceful Unification, Brinksmanship, and Military Takeover |doi=}}</ref>{{Rp|page=19}} The PRC has never recognized the median line.<ref name=":12" />{{Rp|page=19}} Aircraft from Taiwan crossed it frequently until the [[Second Taiwan Strait Crisis]] in 1958.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1010/1/9/2/101019206.html?coluid=5&kindid=23&docid=101019206&mdate=0711085827 |script-title=zh:大公報文章："海峽中線"應該廢除 |website=chinareviewnews.com}}. {{in lang|zh}}</ref> Between 1954 and 2019, generally did not cross{{Who|date=December 2024}} the area, with military craft crossing three times in that period.<ref name=":12" />{{Rp|page=19}}

In 2019, Taiwan's defense ministry provided coordinates for the median line. The ministry recognizes the line as running from 27°N, 122°E in the north to 23°N, 118°E on the southern end.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-30 |title=Taiwan Strait median line coordinates revealed |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3755034 |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=[[Taiwan News]]|author-last1=Huang|author-first1=Tzu-ti}}</ref>

In 2019, PLA warplanes crossed the median line for the first time since 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-04-01 |title=Taiwan will forcefully expel PLA warplanes next time: Tsai Ing-wen |author-first1=Lawrence|author-last1=Chung|author2=Liu Zhen|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3004119/chinese-jets-incursion-across-taiwan-strait-beijings-way |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=[[South China Morning Post]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cole |first=J. Michael |date=2020-09-22 |title=China Ends ‘Median Line’ in the Taiwan Strait: The Start of a Crisis? |url=https://nationalinterest.org/feature/china-ends-%E2%80%98median-line%E2%80%99-taiwan-strait-start-crisis-169402 |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=[[The National Interest]] |language=en}}</ref> In 2020, the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (China)|PRC Foreign Ministry]] explicitly denied the existence of a median line and no longer act as if such a line exists.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Yimou |last2=Torode |first2=Greg |date=August 25, 2022 |title=China's navy begins to erase imaginary Taiwan Strait median line |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinas-navy-begins-erase-imaginary-taiwan-strait-median-line-2022-08-25/ |access-date=December 3, 2024 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref name=":12" />{{Rp|page=19}}