Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported that as of 6 am local time (UTC+8) today, 14 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and 6 People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were operating near the island.
According to the MND, nine of the detected aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
“14 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. Nine aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have been closely monitoring the situation and have responded accordingly,” the MND statement said.
Earlier on Saturday, Taiwan’s MND reported that 11 Chinese military aircraft and 8 naval vessels were detected around Taiwan. Of these, nine aircraft crossed the median line, entering Taiwan’s northern and southwestern ADIZ. The ministry also noted the detection of one Chinese balloon during the same period.
In recent weeks, China has ramped up its capabilities for conducting amphibious assaults on Taiwan’s beaches. This has included the formal deployment of an advanced landing helicopter assault (LHA) vessel and the mass production of floating bridge docks designed to facilitate ship unloading during beach landings.
The Taiwan-China conflict continues to be a major geopolitical issue centered on Taiwan’s sovereignty. While Taiwan operates as a de facto independent state, with its own government, military, and economy, Beijing views the island as a breakaway province under its “One China” policy. Since the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949), when the Republic of China government retreated to Taiwan, China has used a range of diplomatic, economic, and military pressures to assert its claim over Taiwan, while Taiwan continues to assert its independence with strong domestic support.
