Taiwan detects 23 Chinese aircraft around the island

Tensions have ramped up since the May 20 inauguration of Taiwan鈥檚 new President Lai Ching-te. Above, a Chinese newspaper front page shows news coverage of China鈥檚 military drills around Taiwan, in Beijing on May 24, 2024. ( AFP)
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  • China maintains a near-daily military presence around self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory
  • China has said it would never renounce the use of force to take control of Taiwan

TAIPEI: Taiwan鈥檚 defense ministry said Tuesday it had detected 23 Chinese aircraft around the island in a window of less than three hours.
China maintains a near-daily military presence around self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.
鈥淪ince 8:20 a.m. (0020 GMT), we have successively detected a total of 23 aircraft... including 16 that crossed the median line,鈥� the defense ministry said, referring to a line bisecting the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from China.
The ministry statement, issued at 10:40 a.m., said that the aircraft included fighter jets, transport aircraft and drones.
Taiwan鈥檚 鈥渕ilitary is using joint intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance methods to closely monitor the situation.鈥�
Tuesday鈥檚 surge comes after China sent in 19 aircraft, eight naval vessels, and four Chinese coast guard ships around Taiwan within a 24-hour period ending at 6 am Tuesday, according to Taipei鈥檚 daily report.
Tensions on the strait have been ramped up since the May 20 inauguration of Taiwan鈥檚 new President Lai Ching-te.
China said his inauguration speech 鈥� in which he vowed to defend Taiwan鈥檚 democracy and freedom 鈥� was akin to a 鈥渃onfession of Taiwan independence.鈥�
Three days later it launched war games around Taiwan, encircling the island with warplanes and ships as a 鈥減unishment鈥� for 鈥渟eparatist acts.鈥�
China has said it would never renounce the use of force to take control of Taiwan.