Taiwan on Sunday reported fresh Chinese military activity around the island, with its defence ministry detecting multiple PLA aircraft sorties and naval vessels operating near its territorial waters, including several aircraft crossing the Taiwan Strait median line.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) said on Sunday that it detected nine sorties by Chinese PLA aircraft and nine PLAN vessels operating around the island as of 6 am local time.
According to the MND, three of the nine aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). “We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly,” the ministry said in a post on X.
The development follows heightened Chinese military activity a day earlier. On Saturday, Taiwan detected 26 sorties of PLA aircraft, along with eight naval vessels and an official ship operating near its territorial waters.
Of the 26 aircraft, seven crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, central and southwestern ADIZ, the MND said, adding that it had closely monitored the situation and taken appropriate responses.
Taiwan also reported the intrusion of a Chinese army reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle into its southwestern ADIZ on Saturday. The UAV entered airspace near Dongsha, also known as the Pratas Islands, and departed after Taiwan issued radio warnings.
“At 5.41 am (UTC+8), a PLA reconnaissance UAV was detected entering Taiwan’s southwestern ADIZ near Dongsha. After radio warnings, the UAV left the area,” the MND said in a separate post on X.
Responding to the developments, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said he would continue to safeguard Taiwan and would not allow interference from China. As commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Lai pledged to protect the country and ensure the safety of its citizens and their property.
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Bhanu Pratap is DU graduate in Journalism and a daily newspapers reader. His domain of interest in journalism is foreign affairs, the ever-evolving political landscape of the country, and elections.
Although he initially pursued science with aspirations of becoming an engineer under societal pressure, fate had other plans taking him toward the world of news.
When he’s not shaping headlines in the newsroom, Bhanu enjoys spending time in libraries. His love for history takes him to historical places and heritage walks. Folk music is another of his interests.
Reviews and suggestions are always welcome at Bhanu.Pratap@nw18.com.
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