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Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) on Thursday reported that 12 Chinese military aircraft and 10 naval vessels were detected operating around its territorial waters as of 6 am (local time).
According to the MND, all 12 aircraft from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). In a post on X, the ministry said, "12 sorties of PLA aircraft and 10 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 12 out of 12 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded." https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1986237096957223105 On Wednesday, the Ministry had said that it detected two Chinese aircraft and seven naval vessels operating around its territory. In a post on X, the MND wrote, "2 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly." The median line in the Taiwan Strait serves as an unofficial boundary between Taiwan and China, but Beijing has increasingly violated it in recent years as part of its pressure campaign against Taipei. The latest military movements come amid heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait, as Beijing continues to conduct near-daily operations around the self-ruled island. Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump warned China against any military aggression toward Taiwan, saying Beijing "knows the consequences" of such an action. In an interview with CBS after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said, "You'll find out if it happens, and he understands the answer to that. This never even came up yesterday as a subject... he understands it very well." Trump declined to reveal his strategy on a potential Taiwan conflict and insisted China "understands what will happen" if it attempts any aggression. He added, "I can't give away my secrets. I don't want to be one of these guys who tells you exactly what's going to happen if something happens. The other side knows, but I'm not somebody who tells you everything because you're asking me a question, but they understand what's going to happen." (ANI)
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