The Chinese military sent 59 warplanes and conducted military exercises near Taiwan on Monday. Chinese officials claimed that the military exercises were executed as a punishment for the “separatism” promoted by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.
In a Monday statement on X, formerly Twitter, the Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan said, “59 PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 43 out of 59 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. 2 PRC balloons was detected during this timeframe.”
According to Reuters, the Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan confirmed that China’s People’s Liberation Army and People’s Liberation Army Navy’s operations on Monday were part of “joint combat readiness patrols” near Taiwan. The outlet noted that the Chinese warplanes included J-10 jets and drones and that Taiwan dispatched naval and air forces to monitor China’s patrols.
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In a statement obtained by Reuters, a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office claimed that if Lai’s administration “dares to provoke and play with fire, it will only bring about its own destruction.”
According to Reuters, while Taiwan often reports Chinese military activity similar to the exercises conducted on Monday, the Chinese government does not typically comment on the military activity like it did on Monday.
Reuters reported that Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council noted that the Chinese government has continued to threaten Taiwan with its military, leading to increased tension in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council described the Chinese Communist Party as a “troublemaker” and urged Taiwan’s allies to prevent the expansion of China’s military.
According to Reuters, security officials in Taiwan have previously claimed that China is attempting to normalize military exercises near Taiwan by executing patrols every 7-10 days similar to the ones carried out on Monday.
