Apec over, Taiwan reports renewed Chinese military activity
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
Taiwan said nine Chinese aircraft crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait and warships carrying out "combat readiness patrols".
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
TAIPEI - Taiwan reported renewed Chinese military activity around the island on Nov 19, with nine aircraft crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait and warships carrying out “combat readiness patrols”.
China, which regards the self-governing Taiwan as its territory to be reunified, has in recent years regularly carried out military drills around the island as it seeks to assert its sovereignty claims and pressure Taipei. Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claims.
With Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco this week for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit,
But Taiwan’s Defence Ministry reported that starting on the morning of Nov 19, it had detected nine Chinese aircraft crossing the Taiwan Strait’s median line, which had previously served as an unofficial barrier between the two and which Chinese planes now regularly fly over.
The aircraft involved included Su-30 and J-10 fighters, as well as early warning and electronic warfare aircraft, the ministry said.
The aircraft were accompanying Chinese warships carrying out “joint combat readiness patrols”.
Taiwan sent its own forces to monitor, the ministry said.
China’s Defence Ministry did not answer calls seeking comment.
China says its activities near Taiwan are aimed at “collusion” between Taiwan separatists and the United States and to protect China’s territorial integrity.
Taiwan was a major focus of the Biden-Xi talks in San Francisco.
Mr Xi told Mr Biden during their four-hour meeting on Nov 15 that Taiwan was the biggest, most dangerous issue in US-China ties, according to a senior US official.
Taiwan will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on Jan 13, with the island’s fraught relations with China an important topic on the campaign trail.
Over the past 1½ years, China has staged two large-scale war games around Taiwan, though China’s air force has not flown over the island or into its territorial airspace. REUTERS
