A total of 18 Chinese military planes crossed the maritime limits of the Taiwan Strait between this Wednesday (13) and this morning (14), the highest number since November last year, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MDN) of the island.
The expeditions took place across the north, southwest and east of the Taiwan Aerial Identification Area. Despite being an unofficial border, the Strait’s midline has been respected by Taipei and Beijing for decades. However, since the last elections on the island, Chinese actions on the territory have intensified.
In February, the Chinese regime denied the existence of a “middle line” dividing the Taiwan Strait, claiming that “there is only one China in the world” and that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory”.
According to information from the MDN, 26 aircraft (including J-10 fighters, Y-8 transport planes and drones) and ten warships were detected in the vicinity of Taiwan between Wednesday morning and Thursday.
The Taipei government stated that, in response to Chinese activities, the Armed Forces monitored the situation and used combat aircraft, Navy ships and coastal missile systems in the region.
Since the beginning of this year, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense has detected the incursion of more than 200 Chinese military aircraft into the region.
The MDN stated that its Army “will respond with force” if Chinese regime planes or warships penetrate its island territory, based on “the right to self-defense.
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