Taiwan detects 10 Chinese military aircraft, 9 naval vessels around nation

TAIPEI: Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence detected 10 PLA aircraft, 7 Chinese Navy vessels, and 2 official ships operating around the nation, up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) on Sunday, reported Taiwan News.

Six of the 10 PLA aircraft detected, crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. In a post shared on X today, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence wrote, "10 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels, and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today."

"6 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded," it added. So far in August, Taiwan has detected Chinese military aircraft 535 times and ships 289 times.

Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of gray zone tactics by increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating near Taiwan, according to Taiwan News report.

Gray zone tactics are considered "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force," the report said.

This adds to a series of similar provocations by China in recent months. Reportedly, China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan's ADIZ and military exercises near the island.

Notably, Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949. However, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.

Earlier this week, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) criticised China for violating other countries' sovereignty and disrupting regional peace, Taiwan News reported.

The Taiwan MoFA said a Chinese Shaanxi Y-9 reconnaissance plane entered into Japanese airspace east of the Danjo Islands on Monday and added that Beijing's action "seriously violated Japan's sovereignty and raised regional tensions."

According to the Taiwan MoFA statement, China's continued use of military aircraft and warships to intrude into Taiwan and Japan's air defence identification zones and exclusive economic zones has increased regional tensions, according to Taiwan News report.

It said that China collaborates with Russia in carrying out frequent military exercises in the East China Sea and South China Sea to attempt to use force to change the status quo.