Taipei [Taiwan], May 19: Taiwan's Ministry of Defense (MND) detected seven Chinese military aircraft and seven People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels on Sunday. According to the MND, Chinese military aircraft and vessels were detected up until 6 am on Sunday. Taiwan's Armed Forces (ROCArmedForces) monitored the situation and have promptly responded to it, the MND stated.
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." On Saturday, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence confirmed the detection of a significant presence of Chinese military aircraft and vessels near Taiwan.
According to the ministry's statement, as many as 18 Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and four People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were detected in the vicinity of Taiwan up until 6 am local time (UTC+8) that day. Among the detected aircraft, 12 were reported to have crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwest Air Defence Identification Zones (ADIZ). 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 MND has issued daily reports on Chinese military activities for the past few years, including identifying those Chinese aircraft, drones, and balloons that are found to have crossed the Taiwan Strait median line to the Taiwan side.
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