On the second day of exercises near Taiwan, China sent 62 military planes to the island, the Ministry of Defense in Taipei announced in a statement on Saturday. According to the ministry, 46 Chinese planes entered Taiwan's air defense zone.
On Thursday – three days after the inauguration of the new president Taiwan Laia Ching-te – China began two-day military maneuvers around Taiwan, during which the island was to be simulated to be blocked.
Chinese planes taking part in the maneuvers Reuters
Crossed the Taiwan Strait line
Reuters reported that on Friday, 46 Chinese military planes crossed the middle line of the Taiwan Strait, separating China and Taiwan. Reuters quotes a statement from Taiwan's Ministry of Defense, which states that the Chinese army has sent a total of 62 planes and 27 warships towards the island.
According to the Ministry of Defense in Taipei, modern Chinese Su-30 fighters and H-6 bombers, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, flew over the Taiwan Strait.
On Saturday, authorities in Beijing announced that the Chinese army “successfully completed” the exercise called “Joint Sword-2024A”.
Tension between Beijing and Taipei has increased. China is openly practicing attacking and occupying the islandMonika Krajewska/Fakty TVN
Beijing's regular military activities
China's communist authorities maintain that Taiwan is part of their territory and describe the new democratically elected president of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, sworn in on Monday as a “dangerous separatist” who will bring “war and collapse” to the island.
Over the past four years, China has regularly conducted military activities around Taiwan, including large-scale exercises in 2022 and 2023, Reuters recalled.
China and Taiwan – comparison of armed forcestvn24.pl
Main photo source: Reuters