Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Monday it had detected 103 Chinese warplanes around the island in a 24-hour period. “Between the morning of September 17th to 18th, the Ministry of National Defence had detected a total of 103 Chinese aircraft which was a recent high and has posed severe challenges to the security across the Taiwan Strait and in the region," the ministry said in a statement.
This latest military aggression comes as Beijing continues to claim the self-ruled island as its own territory that it vows to seize one day, by force if necessary. Under Xi Jinping’s leadership, Beijing has intensified diplomatic and military pressure in recent years as ties have soured with Taipei.
China regularly sends planes over waters south and west of Taiwan. The island’s Defense Ministry said that 40 of the planes detected Sunday and early Monday crossed the symbolic median line between Taiwan and mainland China. Taiwan’s defence ministry stressed that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are linked to the security, prosperity and well-being of the Indo-Pacific region and are the common responsibility of all parties in the region.
“The ongoing military harassment by the Communist Party is likely to lead to a sharp escalation of tensions and worsening regional security, and calls on Beijing to shoulder its responsibilities and immediately cease such destructive unilateral actions," the statement added.
Last week, Taipei reported an increased number of incursions by Chinese warplanes and ships, after Beijing said its troops were on “high alert" amid tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Earlier in April, Beijing conducted military exercises to simulate the encirclement of the island, after Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during a visit to California.
(With agency inputs)