US slams China's military escalation around Taiwan as illegitimate and dangerous

According to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND), as of 6 am on Thursday, 41 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels were detected operating near Taiwan within the past 24 hours.

Of the aircraft, 27 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the island's northern, central, and southwestern air defence identification zones (ADIZ), Taipei Times reported.

Taiwan's armed forces responded by deploying patrol aircraft, naval vessels, and coastal missile systems to monitor and track the incursion, the MND added.

A spokesperson for the US Department of State told Taiwan's Central News Agency, as cited by Taipei Times, that China's growing military pressure around Taiwan is "irresponsible" and risks increasing tensions in the region.

The spokesperson stressed that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are vital to international security and prosperity.

The US official urged Beijing to cease its coercive tactics and avoid provocative moves that could further undermine peace. The US also reaffirmed its commitment to support Taiwan against China's pressure, including in the military, economic, and diplomatic spheres.

Meanwhile, the Taipei Times reported that a Chinese carrier rocket launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan Province flew through the southwestern section of Taiwan's ADIZ on Wednesday evening. Though the rocket remained outside Earth's atmosphere and posed no direct threat, Taiwan's MND tracked the launch closely using its intelligence and surveillance systems.

The MND had preemptively announced the rocket's path a day earlier, warning it would pass through Taiwan's ADIZ en route to the western Pacific.

According to Taipei Times, the surge in Chinese activity, both military and aerospace, underscores Beijing's growing pressure campaign against Taiwan ahead of major national defence drills. (ANI)