The authorities in Taipei stated that China flew 28 warplanes around Taiwan, and that most of them crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait to carry out unspecified “long-range” missions.


The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said that 20 aircraft had been spotted since this morning crossing the center line of the waterway separating Taiwan from mainland China and entering the air defense identification zone in the southeast and southwest of the autonomous island.


China is carrying out “missions such as long-range exercises and training,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding that it was monitoring the situation with patrol aircraft and ships.


Last week, Taipei announced an increase in the number of raids carried out by Chinese warplanes and ships, after Beijing said that its forces were on “high alert” after two ships belonging to the United States and Canada crossed the Taiwan Strait. The island’s Ministry of Defense said that 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 warships were spotted around the island between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning.


The ministry said some of these planes and warships were heading to an unspecified area in the western Pacific Ocean “to conduct joint naval and air exercises” with the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong.


China has not officially commented on any exercises conducted in the Western Pacific.

Reproduction © Copyright ANSA