Taipei, August 9: Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) said on Sunday that it detected four sorties of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, six vessels of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and nine Chinese official ships operating around Taiwan up to 6 a.m. local time.
According to the ministry, two of the four PLA aircraft sorties crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the northern and southwestern parts of Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). Taiwan’s armed forces monitored the movements and responded accordingly, the MND said in a post on X.
A day earlier, Taiwan had reported detecting 14 sorties of PLA aircraft, six PLAN vessels and eight official ships around the island. The ministry said 11 of the 14 aircraft sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern ADIZ.
The latest activity comes amid continued Chinese military operations around Taiwan. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of China, while Taiwan operates with its own government, military and economic system. The two sides have been governed separately since 1949, and Taiwan’s political and legal status remains a matter of international debate.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s first domestically built submarine conducted another round of sea trials in June. Focus Taiwan, citing the Military News Agency, reported that the submarine departed from Kaohsiung for its 15th sea trial, which included its ninth submerged navigation test.
China’s claim over Taiwan dates back to the Qing Dynasty’s annexation of the island in 1683 after the defeat of forces loyal to the Ming Dynasty.