Taiwan says it detected 66 Chinese aircraft, 14 warships in strait

Taiwan says it detected 66 Chinese aircraft, 14 warships in strait
August 8, 2022, 8:27 am

Taiwan Coast Guard patrol ships are seen during a drill held about 4 nautical miles out of the port of Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, June 6, 2015. (Reuters)

Taiwan said it had detected 66 Chinese aircraft and 14 warships conducting exercises in and around the Taiwan Strait on Sunday (August 7), the Anadolu Agency reported.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry tweeted: "14 PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy) vessels and 66 PLA (People's Liberation Army) aircraft around our surrounding region were detected today until 1700 (GMT+8). #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded to these activities with aircraft in CAP, naval vessels, and land-based missile systems.”

It added that "22 of the detected aircraft had flown on the east part of the median line of the Taiwan Strait and our SW ADIZ (Air Defense Information Zone)."

Taiwan, however, rejected allegations that a Chinese destroyer entered its territorial waters, according to the Anadolu Agency.

Taiwan's CNA news agency, citing the Defense Ministry, said it is not true that the Chinese ship cruised off the coast of eastern Hualien County.

On July 26, President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen boardered on a destroyer to watch the national Navy & Air Force in action - 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen @iingwen Twitter account

It is merely part of China's psychological operations campaign, it argued.

Earlier Sunday (August 7), China announced that it would conduct live-fire military exercises in the Yellow and Bohai seas.

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The Maritime Safety Administration said in a statement, the drill in the Bohai Sea will be held from Aug. 8 to Sept. 8, while the one in the Yellow Sea will be conducted from Aug. 7-15.

China launched massive military exercises surrounding Taiwan last week after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the self-ruled island, bucking Beijing's warnings.

China views Taiwan as a "breakaway province" despite Taipei having governed itself since 1949. Beijing has vowed to reunify the island, including by force if necessary.

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According to Taiwan's Defense Ministry, as part of its major military exercises near Taiwan and eight countermeasures to respond to the situation, China on Friday dispatched the largest number of military aircraft across the Taiwan Strait this year.

Source: aa

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