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In yet another manoeuvre into the Taiwanese territory, 20 Chinese aircraft were detected around the territory of the self-governed island, Taiwan's Ministry of Defence stated.
In a post on the social media platform, X, the Ministry shared further details. It noted that the PLA aircrafts were of various types such as J-11 and Y-8. Out of the 20, 13 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the northern, central and southwestern ADIZ. https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1856178339628581137 The Ministry responded saying that it has monitored the situation and responded accordingly. In another post on X, the Ministry of Defence announced that on Sunday its Air Force conducted the annual air combat tactics assessment, Exercise Sky Dragon. The exercise evaluated a range of air-to-air and air-to-ground combat skills and tactics across all fighter wings to enhance its capability to defend its airspace. https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1855462889483817067 China has increased its military activities around Taiwan by deploying aircraft and naval vessels since September 2020. It is using grey zone tactics to achieve its security objective. Earlier, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te convened a high-level national security conference in which he assured the public about the government's commitment to neutralising any threat to Taiwan's democracy and security after China staged a large-scale military drill around the island. He made his remarks in response to the Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) announcement of military drills, named "Joint Sword-2024B," in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding areas, which were described as a "stern warning" to advocates of Taiwan independence, according to the Taipei Times. In an attempt to modernise Taiwan, on November 4, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te attended the keel-laying ceremony for the Taiwanese Navy, also known as the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) new light frigate prototype at Kaohsiung shipyard. This marks a major milestone in Taiwan's self-defence efforts and defence industry development. This incident follows a recent pattern of escalated manoeuvres by the PLA around Taiwan, raising concerns over regional stability as Beijing continues to assert its claims over the island. In recent weeks, Taiwan has observed an uptick in such military operations, with multiple incidents involving Chinese aircraft crossing into Taiwan's ADIZ. Taiwan's defence forces have responded by closely monitoring these activities and bolstering airspace security. This uptick in activity is viewed as a show of force by Beijing, aimed at intimidating Taiwan amid ongoing diplomatic support from the United States and other international allies. The Taiwan Strait remains a focal point of heightened tensions, with Taiwanese officials repeatedly condemning the increase in Chinese military operations in and around the area as a direct threat to the island's sovereignty and regional peace. Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949. However, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary. (ANI)
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