Jakarta - China flew 28 warplanes around Taiwan on Sunday, September 17 2023, and most of them crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait for an unspecified "long-range" mission, Taipei authorities said, as quoted by AFP.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said the 20 planes detected since Sunday morning crossed the median line of the waterway separating Taiwan and mainland China, and entered the self-ruled island's southeast and southwest air defense identification zones.
China is carrying out “missions such as long-range drills and training”, the defense ministry said in a statement, adding that it was monitoring the situation with patrol planes and ships.
Beijing claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory to be seized one day, by force if necessary. They have increased military and diplomatic pressure on the island in recent years as relations between the two countries have deteriorated.
Last week, Taipei reported an increase in the number of attacks by Chinese warplanes and ships, after Beijing said its forces were on “high alert” following two ships belonging to the United States and Canada transiting through the Taiwan Strait this month.
Taiwan says China is strengthening its air power along the coastline facing the island
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels were detected around the island between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning.
Some of the planes and warships were heading to an unspecified area in the Western Pacific to “conduct joint sea and air training” with China's Shandong aircraft carrier, the ministry said.
The Shandong, one of two aircraft carriers operating in China's fleet, was detected on Monday about 110 km southeast of Taiwan towards the Western Pacific, Taipei authorities said.
China has not provided an official comment on any of the exercises in the Western Pacific.
In April, Beijing conducted military drills to simulate a siege of the island, after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.
At that time, Taiwan detected 71 Chinese warplanes in a 24-hour period, matching a daily record high reached in December 2022.
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