Mainland Affairs Council chief Chiu Tai-san says that China's military presence near Taiwan has reached a level unlike anything seen before. However, when Chiu addressed Taiwan's legislators on Friday, he was quick to add that China is not necessarily preparing to attack Taiwan.
China sent 149 warplanes into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) between October 1 and 4. That included a record high of 56 planes in a single day on October 4.
Chiu says that Taiwan cannot assume that the aim of the missions was to prepare for invasion. He says that China may have sent the aircraft as part of a training drill or for other purposes.
Chiu mentioned in an earlier statement on Thursday that the Chinese aircraft could have been responding to nearby military exercises led by the US, the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Japan.
Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng has declined to comment on Chiu Tai-san's statements. The minister says that Taiwan's military will not start a war, but it is continuously preparing to be ready for all possibilities and to defend the country.
Defense Minister Chiu says that the military is monitoring Chinese military activities closely. However, since this is very sensitive information, he says he cannot disclose specific details.