Taipei: Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) has said that 17 Chinese military aircraft, seven naval vessels were detected operating around Taiwan until 6 am (local time) on Saturday.
According to the ministry, eight out of 17 sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). In response to Chinese military action, Taiwan’s armed forces monitored the situation and deployed aircraft, naval vessels and coastal-based systems.
In a statement shared on X, Taiwan’s MND stated, “17 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 8 out of 17 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”
This latest incursion follows similar activity the previous day when Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence reported that 26 Chinese military aircraft, seven naval vessels and one official ship were tracked near its territory by 6 am (local time) on Friday. Taiwan’s armed forces monitored the situation and responded to Chinese military activity.
“26 sorties of PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 24 out of 26 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded,” Taiwan’s MND stated in a post on Friday on X.
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), governed independently since 1949, continues to face threats from China, which claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory under the “One China” principle and insists on its reunification with Beijing.
Taiwanese armed forces have remained on high alert, tracking the incursions and responding to them as part of ongoing efforts to safeguard the island’s sovereignty and maintain regional stability.
(IANS)
