Taipei: Taiwan reported heightened military activity by China around the Taiwan Strait early Thursday, revealing that a significant number of Chinese aircraft and vessel around its territory.
The island nation’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) in a statement said that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels have been detected in and around Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).
The MND detected 20 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels in the vicinity of Taiwan, marking a notable escalation in military activities. Ten of the detected aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line, which traditionally serves as an informal boundary separating the two sides.
The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ, prompting a strategic response from Taiwan’s defense forces.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence stated that they have been actively monitoring the situation and have responded as necessary to ensure national security.
“20 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 10 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly,” said Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence in a post on X.