Taiwan detects 19 Chinese aircraft on the eve of National Day

Taiwan today detected 19 Chinese military aircraft in the vicinity of the island, 13 of which crossed the midline of the strait, on the eve of the celebrations of National Day, announced the Thai Ministry of Defense.

In a communiqué, the tutelage indicated that from 08:52 locations (01:52 in Lisbon), it detected fighters J-16, J-11 and Su-30, bombers JH-7, early warning planes KJ-500, electronic warfare aircraft Y-8 and drones.

Of the 19 aircraft, 13 crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait and its extension, entering the northern, central and southwest regions of the self-proclaimed Taiwanese Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) to carry out a “joint combat preparedness patrol” with Chinese Navy vessels.

The Taiwanese Armed Forces claimed to have closely monitored movements through their joint systems of information, surveillance and recognition, and mobilized aircraft, ships and coastal missile systems in response.

This was the second “joint combat preparation patrol” detected by Taipei this week.

On Tuesday, the Thai Defense Ministry announced the presence of 14 Chinese military aircraft, nine of which crossed the midline of the strait and operated in the northern and central regions of ADIZ, together with warships.

Air activity has now joined the presence of four Chinese Coast Guard vessels in the vicinity of Kinmen, an archipelago controlled by Taipei and situated a few kilometres off the coast of the Chinese province of Fujian, in the southeast of the country.

According to the Taiwanese Coast Guard, Chinese vessels entered in pairs, at 9:10 local (02:10 in Lisbon), in the “restricted waters” of Kinmen, from the east and southwest.

Taipei mobilized patrol vessels to accompany Chinese vessels “one by one” and to issue radio warnings in Chinese and English to the exit of the four ships from the area at 11:13 locations (04:13 in Lisbon).

The new military mobilization takes place on the eve of October 10th, National Day of the Republic of China, Taiwan's official designation, when Taiwanese President William Lai is to deliver a speech on relations with Beijing.

A similar situation occurred last year when Taiwan detected 23 Chinese military aircraft three days before the celebration, 17 of which crossed the midline of the strait.

China has intensified military pressure around Taiwan in recent years, whose sovereignty it claims and for whose reunification it does not exclude force.