Taiwan detects 21 Chinese military aircraft, Naval activity near its territory

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense announced Monday that it had detected a significant uptick in Chinese military activity around its territory over the past 24 hours, including 21 aircraft, eight naval vessels, and three additional ships.

The activity, tracked until 6 a.m. local time Monday (2200GMT Sunday), included 16 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait—an unofficial but widely respected boundary—and entered the island's northern, southwestern, and eastern air defense identification zones (ADIZ), the ministry said.

In response, Taiwan scrambled its own aircraft and deployed naval ships to monitor and shadow the Chinese units, in line with standard operating procedures to guard against potential incursions.

The latest maneuver marks another escalation in the ongoing military pressure campaign by Beijing, which views Taiwan as an inseparable part of its territory, despite the island’s democratically elected government asserting its independence and autonomy.

Beijing has intensified air and naval patrols around Taiwan in recent years, particularly following high-profile visits by foreign officials and arms sales to Taipei. Taiwan has repeatedly called on China to cease such actions, warning they threaten regional stability.

The defense ministry emphasized that it remains vigilant and will continue to monitor developments closely to ensure Taiwan’s national security.

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