Taiwan detects 18 Chinese aircraft, 7 Navy vessels operating near its shores

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) shows soldiers loading an air force fighter aircraft with weapons at an undisclosed location. Pic/AFP

Taiwan detected 18 sorties of Chinese aircraft and seven Chinese vessels until 6 am (local time) on Friday, a statement by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said. As per the MND, out of 18 sorties, 13 crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ.

"18 sortie of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 13 out of 18 sortie crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly."

Earlier on Thursday, Taiwan detected 27 sorties of Chinese aircraft, six Chinese vessels and one Chinese balloon until 6 am (local time) on Thursday, a statement by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said.

As per the MND, out of 27 sorties, 20 crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ.

In a post on X, Taiwan's MND said, "27 sorties of PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 20 out of 27 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. 1 PRC balloon was detected during this timeframe."

Earlier in the day, a spokesperson from the United States Department of State heavily criticised China's recent military exercises near Taiwan, calling them "brazen and irresponsible threats," while reaffirming the United States' long-standing support for Taipei (capital city), as reported by Taipei Times.

The spokesperson said, "China cannot credibly claim to be a 'force for stability in a turbulent world' while issuing brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan."

According to the Taipei Times, the official emphasized that Washington's long-standing commitment to Taiwan would persist as it has for 45 years, and the US "will keep supporting Taiwan in response to China's military, economic, informational, and diplomatic pressure."

"Together with our international partners, we strongly advocate for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and oppose any efforts to alter the status quo through force or coercion," the spokesperson added.

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