Chinese military ships and aircraft were detected around Taiwanese waters and airspace Monday morning, according to defense officials, as tensions continued to grow between the two nations.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry tweeted that nine planes from the People’s Liberation Army, or PLA, and four vessels from the People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN, were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) on Monday.
“The ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy ships and ground-based missile systems to respond. [to] these activities,” the tweet read.
CHINESE MILITARY AIRCRAFT, VESSELS ENTER TAIWAN WATERS, AIRSPACE FOR AT LEAST EIGHTH TIME IN A WEEK
For the third week in a row, China has reportedly sent military planes and vessels toward Taiwan, often crossing the midline of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial buffer zone separating Taiwan from China.
Raids by the Chinese army are becoming a daily occurrence. Indeed, the Ministry of National Defense tweeted yesterday that 10 PLA aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels were detected near Taiwan, and on Friday Taiwanese officials reported 14 PLA aircraft and three PLAN vessels in the area.
On Thursday, there were 31 EPL aircraft and four PLAN ships near Taiwan, with the Defense Ministry reporting that 12 of the planes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan is staging military exercises to show its ability to resist Chinese pressure to accept Beijing’s political control over the island.
(AP Photo/Johnson Lai)
Beijing renewed threats against the island nation last week, warning that foreign politicians who interact with the autonomous island are “playing with fire.”
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A spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the country recommitted in the new year to “safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity” and “destroying plots for Taiwan independence” in the self-governing democracy that broke away from Mainland China in 1949.
Last week, Taiwan’s military held drills aimed at reassuring the public about its ability to counter threats from China, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.
China has responded to foreign visits by holding large-scale military exercises that some see as a rehearsal for a blockade or invasion. Beijing sends planes and warships toward Taiwan almost daily, often crossing the 100-mile median line of the Taiwan Strait that divides the sides.
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In late December, China sent a record 71 aircraft and seven ships to Taiwan, the largest-scale exercise of its kind in 2022.
Fox News’ Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
