Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that without warning a Chinese military joint air-sea drill including live fire and warplanes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 26 (UPI) — Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that a Chinese military joint air-sea drill, including live fire and warplanes, crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait without warning.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on X that a total of 32 Chinese military aircraft were spotted as Taiwan monitored the drill.
“Out of which, 22 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the northern and southwestern ADIZ in conducting air-sea joint training along with PLAN vessels,” the Taiwan Defense Ministry statement said.
Taiwan said there were 11 sorties of Chinese military planes, with nine crossing the median line of the strait.
The ministry said the aircraft were carrying out a joint combat readiness drill with warships that “blatantly violated international practice by setting up a drills area about 40 nautical miles off the coast” without prior warning.
During a Wednesday news conference, China’s Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment on Taiwan’s reaction to the surprise military drill and said it was not a diplomatic issue.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said the Chinese military drill announced via temporary radio broadcasts posed “a severe threat to the safety of international aviation and maritime navigation.”
Taiwan’s coast guard detained the Chinese-crewed cargo vessel Hong Tai 58 for suspicion of being involved in China’s military drill. Taiwan security agencies suspect Chinese ships like the one detained are a threat to undersea cables.
China claims Taiwan should be governed by mainland China and has threatened to do by force.
On Monday New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins said the Chinese navy, armed with “extremely capable” weaponry capable of targeting Australia, conducted similar military drills in the Tasman Sea.
Gaylene Pekar
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