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Taipei has slammed Beijing for escalating the situation at the Taiwan Strait after more than 57 Chinese jets crossed the median line on Monday as part of the latest round of military exercises around the self-governed island.
"57 PLA aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities," Taiwan Defence Ministry tweeted. "We seek neither escalation nor conflict! Recently, PLA aircraft and PLAN vessels around Taiwan were commonly detected, and some aircraft had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. #ROCArmedForces will keep monitoring the situation and safeguarding our homeland and people," the ministry added. In a separate statement on its website, Taiwan said China's provocative actions have seriously damaged the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, a 180-kilometre-wide strait separating the island Taiwan and continental Asia. "The national military uses the joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system to fully grasp the situation in the Taiwan Strait and its surrounding areas, adapt to the situation, and has the ability, determination, and confidence to ensure national security," the statement added. China's military activity on Monday came during the second round of military exercises focused on Taiwan since US President Joe Biden signed the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law on December 23, Taiwan Focus reported. According to the Taiwanese publication, the NDAA authorized USD 10 billion in loans to Taiwan to buy U.S. weapons over the next five years, but those loans did not make it into the Consolidated Appropriations Act passed in late December, which authorizes government spending. Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan - a territory with its own elected government - maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contact of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable. (ANI)
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