A total of 62 warplanes and 27 Chinese ships were detected in the vicinity of Taiwan in the last 24 hours, as part of the second day of Chinese military maneuvers around the island, official sources reported this Saturday.
In his latest report, the Ministry of National Defense (MDN) of Taiwan indicated that 47 of those aircraft, including SU-30 fighters and H-6 bombersthey crossed the middle line of the Strait from Taiwan and entered the southwest, southeast and eastern region of the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) Taiwanese.
These 47 incursions are the most numerous that have been recorded since the April 11 last year, when China launched a series of maneuvers around Taiwan after the meeting between the then Taiwanese president, Tsai Ing-wenand the then president of the US House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy in California.
Likewise, an unspecified number of these planes passed just 72.2 kilometers from the northern city of Keelung and 76 kilometers from Cape Eluanbiin the southern county of Pingtung.
“The Armed Forces of the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) have monitored the situation and have employed fighter jets, Navy ships and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities.”said the MDN in a statement.
In total, the MDN located 111 war planes -of which, 82 crossed the middle line of the strait and entered the Taiwanese ADIZ- and 53 ships of the Chinese Navy and Coast Guard during the two days of maneuvers, named Joint Sword – 2024A (“united sword” in English).
He Command of the Eastern Theater of Operations of the People’s Liberation Army (EPL) launched this operation on Thursday morning as “strong punishment” for “separatist acts relating to the independence” of the island and as a warning “against interference and provocation” by external forces.
China’s military action took place in the same week that William Lai, considered a “separatist” and a “troublemaker” by Beijing, assumed the presidency of Taiwan.
This Friday, the new island president held a video conference with his Minister of Defense, Wellington Kooand the chief of the General Staff, Mei Chia-shuto evaluate the activities of the Chinese Army around the island.
“The national Army and I are fully aware of the movements of the communist forces and have immediate and appropriate responses to ensure that the country and the people are safe and protected.“Lai said in a statement published on his official Facebook account, in which he also asked the population for “unity.”
“The Army is on the front line to protect national security day and night. I would like to ask the (Taiwanese) people to fully support the national army; our unity, cooperation and link with the outside world are the greatest support of the Army,” he added.
China resorts to this type of maneuver for the fourth time since 2022, when it carried out the first of this caliber in response to the visit of the then president of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosito Taiwan, which angered Beijing and raised tension in the strait to levels not seen in decades.
(EFE)
