Taiwan’s defense officials said they were monitoring Chinese warplanes and ships approaching the island and that their military would respond to “those actions.”
“Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense tweeted on Tuesday morning local time that at 6:00 a.m. (UTC+8) today, 29 PLA (People’s Liberation Army) aircraft and 3 PLAN ships were spotted around Taiwan. Navy ships to respond to these actions and land-based missile systems.
A subsequent tweet said 21 Chinese aircraft had entered Taiwan’s Southeast Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
FURIOUS CHINA PROMISES ‘ALL NECESSARY MEASURES’ TO PROTECT IT AFTER PELOSI LANDED IN TAIWAN
Chinese military aircraft and ships have been spotted near Taiwan, defense officials on the island say.
(Taiwan Ministry of National Defense)
A day earlier, Taiwan’s defense officials said that Chinese warplanes and ships were detected near the country’s borders.
Taiwanese government officials believe China is preparing an excuse to attack the island after a year of military threats and incursions.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told The Guardian that China is “more serious than ever”. China recently conducted military live-fire drills around Taiwan after Houston Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island.
The Chinese military has reportedly practiced naval blockades and missile launches, as well as ground combat operations. The Chinese military is using advanced technology in training, including J-20 stealth fighter jets and DF-17 hypersonic missiles.
Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan Island in Fujian Province, one of China’s closest points to Taiwan, on Aug. 4, 2022, ahead of massive military exercises near Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island.
(HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)
“And we are sure that the Chinese may want to use another pretext to launch their future attacks against Taiwan. So this is a military threat against Taiwan,” Wu told the newspaper.