Taipei [Taiwan], December 28 : Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) on Saturday reported the operation of seven Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around its territory.
"7 PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 1 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly," the MND said in a post on X.
https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1872809697390268613
Earlier on Friday, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence reported the operation of five Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels.
On Thursday, MND reported the operation of five PLAN vessels around Taiwan.
Meanwhile, in a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi expressed concerns about the situations in the South China Sea and others, and with regards to Taiwan, he stated that Japan is closely monitoring relevant developments, including the recent military activities, and reiterated that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is extremely important for the international community, including Japan.
Recently, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also criticised China's stance towards Taiwan and said that "China is bullying Taiwan, and pursuing access to critical infrastructure in ways that could cripple societies."
He said, "We need to be clear-eyed about China's ambitions. China is substantially building up its forces, including its nuclear weapons - with no transparency and no limitations. From 200 warheads in 2020, China is expected to have more than 1,000 nuclear weapons by 2030. Its space-launch investments are skyrocketing. China is bullying Taiwan, and pursuing access to our critical infrastructure in ways that could cripple our societies."
The Taiwan Strait remains a focal point of heightened tensions, with Taiwanese officials repeatedly condemning the increase in Chinese military operations as a direct threat to the island's sovereignty and regional peace. However, China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.