Following Beijing's increased military drills near the East Asian island, which China considers as part of its own, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said in a televised broadcast last week that she did not exclude the possibility of a full-blown attack.

In self-ruled Taiwan , fears of a military invasion from the world's second-largest economy are growing.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen waves to the supporters at the celebration of the 14th presidential inauguration on May 20, 2016 in Taipei, Taiwan.

A recent decision by Bejing to launch new civilian flights over the Taiwan Strait has contributed to those concerns.

Early this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping's administration opened four new routes without official approval from Tsai, who called the move "destabilizing." Back in 2015, the two countries agreed that Beijing would consult Taipei before commencing new flights in the area.

The new routes, which are expected to cross paths with Taiwanese flights, could carry major defense implications for Taipei.

"By opening this new corridor, the Chinese will likely be able to fly surveillance and reconnaissance operations closer to Taiwan on a regular basis, better monitoring communications and other electronic emissions," Dean Cheng, senior research fellow at the Asian Studies Center at think tank The Heritage Foundation, wrote in a recent note. "Such missions will allow the Chinese to pinpoint radars and associated air defense missile batteries more effectively."

Those activities could hurt Taiwan's ability to monitor its air and sea space, which would be an "essential" step in any Chinese military action against the island, Cheng continued.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, a cabinet-level agency responsible for bilateral affairs, has expressed similar fears. In an official statement, it said Beijing was "purposefully using civil aviation as a cover for improper intentions regarding Taiwan politics and even military affairs."