Several Chinese military aircraft spotted around Taiwan

Taiwan's Ministry of Defence said on Friday, 6 July, that it had detected 36 Chinese military aircraft around the island in the previous 24 hours.

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A further 26 aircraft, including fighter jets, transport aircraft and drones, were spotted after 6:55am (06:55 ET) on Friday, the ministry said. It added that it was "monitoring the situation and responding accordingly".

China maintains that self-governing democratic Taiwan is part of its territory and has said it will never give up the use of force to take control of it.

In recent years, China has increased pressure on Taipei. For example, they conducted military exercises around the island after the inauguration on 20 May of the new Taiwanese leader Lai Tsing-jeou, whom Beijing considers a "dangerous separatist".

According to the Taiwanese Ministry of Defence, during the exercise, Beijing sent 62 military aircraft to the island - the largest number in a single day this year - as well as 27 naval vessels.

The latest airspace violations came after the Chinese coast guard seized a Taiwanese boat for allegedly fishing off the coast of Quanzhou, China, and near the Kinmen Islands (in front of Taiwan). Taipei insisted that the boat was operating in a "traditional fishing spot" for both sides and demanded its immediate release.

Source: The Defence Post