Taipei [Taiwan], June 13 : Taiwan's Ministry of Defence said it detected 15 sorties of Chinese aircraft and seven Chinese vessels operating around its territorial waters as of 6am (local time) on Friday.
Of the 15 aircraft, nine entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ (Air Defence Identification Zone).
In a post on X, the MND said, "15 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 9 out of 15 sorties entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly."
{{{{twitter_post_id####15 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 9 out of 15 sorties entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly. pic.twitter.com/aAKjXQRqqw— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) June 13, 2025
On Thursday, the MND said it detected 10 sorties of Chinese aircraft and seven Chinese vessels.
In a post on X, the MND said, "10 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 8 out of 10 sorties entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly."
}}}}10 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 8 out of 10 sorties entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly. pic.twitter.com/wkOcA0y629— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) June 12, 2025
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth stated on Tuesday that China poses a more aggressive threat to the US and that repelling Beijing is the Pentagon's top regional priority, despite its rapid military development and invasion manoeuvres near Taiwan, according to a Taipei Times report.
"Our pacing threat is communist China," Hegseth told the US House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Defence during an oversight meeting with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine. "Beijing is preparing for war in the Indo-Pacific as part of its broader strategy to dominate that region and then the world," Hegseth said, adding that if it succeeds, it may impede US reindustrialization and choke its economy, according to the Taipei Times.
Hegseth believes US President Donald Trump's "peace through strength" strategy is the appropriate response, and that the stagnating US defence industrial base must be revitalised.
"China is undertaking a historic military buildup and actively rehearsing for an invasion of Taiwan," he said, adding that only having the world's most powerful and lethal militaryfocused on protecting key US interestscan effectively deter adversaries and win a potential conflict, according to the Taipei Times report.
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