The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense announced that it had spotted dozens of Chinese fighters and ships around an island TaiwanAs part of the military maneuvers launched by Beijing yesterday, Thursday, with the aim of testing its army’s ability to “seize power” on the island, according to what China announced on Friday.
The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said in a statement issued today, Friday, that 49 military aircraft flew around the island during the past 24 hours, and that 35 of them crossed the middle line in the Taiwan Strait and flew over the area it considers Taipei Within its air defense area.
The ministry published a map showing a plane approaching about 40 nautical miles from Keelung County on the northern end of the island and 57 nautical miles from Pingtung County on the southern end.
The ministry said that it had detected 26 ships, 19 of which belonged to the Chinese Navy and 7 of which belonged to the Chinese Coast Guard, in the vicinity of the island.
The middle line in the Taiwan Strait refers to the air and sea line that is supposed to be the dividing line between the areas of influence of China and Taiwan.
a test
She announced ChinaToday, Friday, the maneuvers aim to test its army’s ability to “seize power” on the autonomous island.
Official media quoted a spokesman for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army as saying that the maneuvers, which began Thursday and end Friday, aim to test “the ability to seize power, direct strikes, and control key areas.”
Yesterday, Thursday, China called on the United States to stop what it described as “colluding with or supporting separatist forces for Taiwan independence.”
This came in a press conference held by Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin in the capital, Beijing, coinciding with China’s launch of large-scale military exercises around the island of Taiwan, which it asserts belongs to it.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said: “Anyone who seeks Taiwan independence will find himself destroyed within the framework of the historical trend of complete reunification of China.”
Earlier Thursday, China announced the start of comprehensive military exercises in the vicinity of Taiwan called “Common Sword 2024A”, in which units of the ground, air, naval and missile forces participate.
These maneuvers, which imposed a blockade around Taiwan, came following the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected leader of the island. Lai Ching Ton May 20 of this year.
China considers Taiwan’s new leader a “pro-independence” and “separatist”, and Chinese officials had referred to him several times before the election with terms such as “irredeemable” and “troublemaker.”
Beijing demands the annexation of Taiwan, an island with a population of 24 million, as a breakaway province, while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.
China does not recognize Taiwan’s independence, considers it part of its territory, and rejects any attempts to secede from it. In contrast, Taiwan does not recognize Beijing’s central government.