Taiwan detects seven Chinese naval vessels, two military aircraft around nation

Taipei [Taiwan], April 24 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) said it detected seven naval vessels and two Chinese military aircraft around the country between 6 am (local time) on Tuesday to 6 am (local time) on Wednesday.

In a post on X, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence stated, "2 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC8) today. ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly."According to the Taiwan Defence Ministry, two People's Liberation Army (PLA) fighter jets had been detected in the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan News reported. However, it did not indicate that any of the Chinese military planes entered the air defence identification zone (ADIZ) or crossed the median line.

The Taiwan Defence Ministry said it used its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system to monitor the situation. In response to China's action, Taiwan sent combat patrol aircraft, and naval vessels, and deployed land-based air defence missile systems.

So far in April, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence has detected Chinese military aircraft 207 times and naval vessels 144 times. Since September 2020, China has intensified the use of "gray zone tactics" by deploying military aircraft and naval vessels over the median line and inside Taiwan's ADIZ, according to Taiwan News report.

Gray zone tactics have been termed as "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resorting to direct and sizable use of force," Taiwan News, reported citing CSIS.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng on Wednesday offered reassurances after a local military expert warned that Chinese warplanes are heading closer to Taiwan and could reach the Presidential Office in Taipei within minutes, Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

Retired Air Force Lieutenant General Chang Yen-ting issued the warning based on Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) chart posted on April 21 showing two Chinese fighter jets crossing the Taiwan Strait median line and reaching a point around 41 nautical miles (76 kilometres) away from Keelung.

Chang said that this implied that a People's Liberation Army (PLA) warplane could reach the Presidential Office within four or five minutes. Calling it a problem, he said that Taiwanese military aircraft need at least six minutes to take off and intercept PLA counterparts, and Taiwan's military would have little time to prepare to counter such an incursion.

Asked about Chang's warning, Chiu Kuo-cheng on Wednesday said that Taiwan's military has a regular intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system in place "exactly for the purpose of preventing the scenario from happening," according to CNA report.

Asked local media reports that a Chinese oceanographic survey and research ship the Xiang Yang Hong No 6 was detected in waters off Hualien County on April 22, he stated that it was not unusual for Taiwan to detect Chinese survey and research ships in waters around Taiwan.

As per the CNA report, Chiu Kuo-cheng noted that the latest detection of a Chinese vessel "came at a sensitive time" and announced that Taiwan's Coast Guard and military have responses ready. (ANI)