Taiwan says more than 70 Chinese military planes, ships around island

Taiwan's defense ministry reported 53 Chinese military aircraft flying around the island on December 11.

Reuters reported that Taiwan's Defense Ministry said China is increasing military activity around the island. Taiwan confirmed that 53 military aircraft, 11 naval vessels and 8 mainland civilian vessels were operating around the island in the past 24 hours.

Taiwan's Mirage 2000 fighter jets prepare to take off at the Hsinchu base on December 10, 2024 amid China's increased military activity.

Earlier, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said on December 10 that China had deployed its largest naval fleet to regional waters in nearly three decades, posing a major threat to the island. Taiwan also raised its alert level on December 9 after noticing Beijing restricting its airspace and deploying a number of naval and coast guard vessels.

China has not commented on the above information.

China deploys nearly 70 planes and ships close to Taiwan?

Commenting on recent developments around Taiwan, a US official said on December 10 that China's naval deployments in the East and South China Seas have increased somewhat but are still consistent with other major exercises in the past.

"We do not view the activities in the East China Sea and the South China Sea as a response to the trip by Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te," Reuters quoted the US official as saying. On December 6, Lai Ching-te completed a long tour of many locations in the Pacific, including the state of Hawaii, the US island of Guam and several countries that have official relations with the island. The move has met with a strong reaction from China.

“This activity is part of a broader increase in the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) military posture and military exercises over the past several years,” the US official added.

China has not yet confirmed whether it is conducting any military exercises around Taiwan. China has held two major military exercises around Taiwan this year.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dai-loan-noi-hon-70-may-bay-quan-su-tau-thuyen-trung-quoc-quanh-hon-dao-18524121110380264.htm