Taiwan detects 6 Chinese aircraft, 7 vessels around its vicinity

Taipei [Taiwan], May 20 : Taiwan's Ministry of Defense (MND) detected the presence of Chinese military aircraft and vessels around its vicinity on Monday.

According to the defence ministry's statement, six Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and seven People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were spotted around the nation up until 6 am.

Moreover, six of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ).

Taiwan's Armed Forces (ROCArmedForces) monitored the situation and responded accordingly.

"6 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 6 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly," Taiwan's MND said in a post shared on X.

Earlier on Sunday, Taiwan's MND detected seven Chinese military aircraft and seven People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels.

According to the MND, Chinese military aircraft and vessels were detected up until 6 am.

Sharing it on X, Taiwan's Defence Ministry stated, "7 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 am (UTC+8) today. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly."

This development marks a concerning escalation in tensions between Taiwan and China, which has long claimed sovereignty over the island.

The increased presence of Chinese military assets near Taiwan underscores the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.

Taiwan has frequently raised concerns about China's military activities and its ambitions to reunify Taiwan with the mainland, by force if necessary.

The median line of the Taiwan Strait served for decades as a tacit border between China and Taiwan, but China's military has more freely sent aircraft, warships and drones across it since former United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022.

Since September 2020, China has increased its use of grey zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan.

Grey zone tactics are defined as "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resorting to direct and sizable use of force."

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