China “mobilized military aircraft this morning and crossed the demarcation line from the north, center and south,” the defense ministry said, adding that the ships were spotted at around 11:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT).
I amTaiwan’s defense ministry said it spotted nine Chinese warships and 26 aircraft around the island on Tuesday, a day after Beijing announced the end of its major military maneuvers.
China “mobilized military aircraft this morning and crossed the demarcation line from the north, center and south,” the defense ministry said, adding that the ships were spotted at around 11:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT).
Beijing on Saturday began three days of so-called “joint sword” military exercises around Taiwan, during which simulations of targeted attacks and encirclement of the autonomous island took place.
Since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, China has considered Taiwan a province that cannot be reunited with the rest of its territory. It aims at this reintegration by force if necessary.
The show of force came after a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on Wednesday, to which Beijing vowed to respond.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense detected 12 warships and 91 aircraft on the last day of operations on Monday, and 54 aircraft crossed the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen condemned the military maneuvers on Monday, hours after they officially ended, saying China was using ties between Taipei and Washington as a pretext to start military exercises, creating instability in Taiwan and the region.
“Even if China’s military drills end, our military and national security team will continue to stand up and defend the country,” Tsai said in a Facebook post.
At the end of “Joint Sword”, the Chinese military announced that it had “successfully completed” its military maneuvers.
Meanwhile, a US destroyer carried out a “freedom of navigation operation” on Monday in an area of the South China Sea claimed by Beijing. An “infiltration” was immediately condemned by China.
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