An unprecedented number of Chinese military aircraft approached Taiwan's vicinity during their exercise maneuvers.
The one-day military exercises, including Chinese fighter jets, drones, warships, and Coast Guard vessels, simulating a blockade of the self-governing island, were criticized by Taiwan as an "unjustifiable provocation" and marks the latest in a string of recent war games initiated by Beijing against its neighbor.
As per the ministry's report, 153 Chinese planes were identified within Taiwan's vicinity during a 25-hour period between Monday and Tuesday.
Out of these, 111 military aircraft transgressed the Median Line – an unrecognized yet informally acknowledged dividing point in the Taiwan Strait by Beijing, until recently – and intruded into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
It's worth noting that an ADIZ is an unilaterally established zone distinct from sovereign airspace, which, according to international law, extends 12 nautical miles from a country's coastline. No Chinese warplanes were detected infringing upon Taiwan's sovereign airspace, a move that would denote a significant escalation.
Monday's Chinese aircraft count outpaced the previous daily maximum in September 2023, when 103 Chinese military aircraft were tracked moving around Taiwan within a 24-hour period.
In response to the recent incursions, Taiwan's Defense Ministry deployed its own aircraft, naval vessels, and coastal missile systems to monitor the activity.
China defended its military drills as a stern warning to secessionist forces in Taiwan, executed amidst the recent speeches delivered by the newly appointed island president, Lai Ching-te, pledging to safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty against Chinese assertions.
Lai asserted during Taiwan's National Day celebration on Thursday that Taiwan is not subservient to China, and Beijing lacks the authority to represent Taiwan.
Chinese military exercises near Taiwan, a democracy of 24 million residents, have escalated in frequency in recent years and usually coincide with events triggering Beijing's displeasure.
These drills enable China to evaluate Taiwan's reactions and exhaust its military resources, including its aging and less powerful fighter jet fleet.
Specialists speculated that Monday's drills formed part of a wider strategy encompassing both maintaining stress on Taiwan and familiarizing with regular war games.
The Chinese Communist Party acknowledges Taiwan as its territory, despite never having controlled it. It has promised to reunify the island with the Chinese mainland, courtesy of force if necessary, while the Taiwanese leaders firmly reject China's territorial claims over it. A significant population on the island identifies themselves as distinctively Taiwanese.
The People's Liberation Army declared that the drills were a joint operation encompassing the army, navy, air force, and rocket force. These exercises were conducted in the Taiwan Strait, separating the island from mainland China, as well as encircling Taiwan.
A map distributed by the Eastern Theater Command indicated that drills were taking place in nine locations surrounding Taiwan, alongside outlying islands closer to the Chinese mainland.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry reported the identification of 14 naval vessels around Taiwan during the same 25-hour period. Among them was the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning, which moved to a position east of the island.
During the military exercise, no Chinese naval vessels penetrated Taiwan's contiguous zone, which, according to international law, extends 24 nautical miles out from a territory's coastline, the ministry noted at a press conference on Monday evening.
Experts, however, considered the drills as "perilous," as they gradually approached Taiwan, leaving "scant time for a response."
The Chinese military announced the commencement of Joint Sword 2024-B drills at 5 a.m. local time on Monday. An updated statement extended at 6 p.m. confirmed the successful completion of these exercises.
According to a flight map from Taiwan's Defense Ministry, Chinese jets were detected near the island following China's declaration of the conclusion of its military operations.
The escalation of Chinese military activities in the Taiwan Strait has drawn global concern, with some analysts viewing these exercises as a threat to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
Despite China's claims of Taiwan as its territory, the world continues to recognize Taiwan as a separate and independent entity in the international community, maintaining diplomatic ties with it.
