Taiwan said on Tuesday it was closely monitoring a new Chinese military patrol near the island, describing Beijing as the main source of instability in the Asia-Pacific region.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence said its armed forces responded after detecting 29 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels operating around the island. According to the ministry, 24 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial buffer zone between Taiwan and China that Beijing does not recognise.
The patrol marked the second Chinese “joint combat readiness patrol” near Taiwan within a week. Taiwan’s National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu said the Chinese military activity was “unprovoked” and accused Beijing of increasing regional tensions. He also said Taiwan had observed China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier group in the western Pacific.
The latest developments come after US President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing earlier this month, where Taiwan was discussed. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, while Taiwan insists it is sovereign and self-governed despite growing military and political pressure from Beijing.
