For 24 hours starting from 6 a.m. Monday, five Chinese aircraft were detected in the Taiwan Strait, according to the Defense Ministry. Seven Chinese warships and one official ship were also detected.
The Defense Ministry released a schematic diagram depicting the activities of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army during this period. From 8:24 a.m. to 2:22 p.m. Tuesday, Taiwan’s military observed four Chinese fighter jets in the strait, three of which crossed the median line. On the same day, they also detected an additional fighter jet in Taiwan’s southwest airspace from 8:20 a.m. to 12:38 p.m. They utilized a combination of mission aircraft, ships, and shore-based missile systems to monitor this activity.
China has held several military drills around Taiwan over the past year, including two large-scale exercises following President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德）inauguration in May and following the celebration of Taiwan’s National Day in October. The increased military activity has drawn international condemnation and calls to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.