Taiwan detects 77 Chinese aircraft, 17 naval vessels around its territory as China conducts extensive drills

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Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) on Wednesday said it detected 77 Chinese military aircraft and 17 naval vessels operating around the island as of 6 am local time, amid ongoing military drills by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA). In a post on X, the MND said that 35 of the 77 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern, central and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

"77 PLA aircraft, 17 PLAN vessels and 8 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 35 out of 77 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded," the ministry said.

The latest activity comes after the PLA's Eastern Theatre Command conducted military drills in waters east of Taiwan, which it described as an all-dimensional force projection. Taiwan's Minister of National Defence Wellington Koo on Tuesday said that the PLA's actions pose a risk to regional stability. According to Taiwan's MND, Koo said the drills also threaten civilian maritime and air traffic.

"Minister of National Defence Wellington Koo said today that the PLA's provocative actions threaten regional stability and civilian traffic. Following the President's guidance, the ROC Armed Forces will respond calmly and safeguard our nation's security and democracy," the MND said in a separate post.

The ongoing drills, codenamed 'Justice Mission 2025', involve the PLA Eastern Theatre Command deploying its Army, Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force units to conduct joint military exercises in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast and east of Taiwan, according to Taiwan's defence ministry. On Tuesday, the MND said it had recorded a higher level of activity, detecting 130 PLA aircraft, 14 PLAN vessels and eight official ships operating around Taiwan until 6 am.

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