Taipei : Taiwan detected 11 Chinese aircraft, six Chinese naval vessels and three official ships operating around its territory up until 6 am (local time) on Friday, a statement by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said.
Seven out of 11 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ (Air Defence Identification Zone), authorities said. In a post on X, Taiwan's MND said, "11 PLA aircraft, 6 PLAN vessels and 3 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 7 out of 11 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly."
Earlier on Thursday, 34 PLA aircraft, six Naval vessels and two official ships operating around Taiwan were detected. In a post on X, Taiwan's MND said, "34 PLA aircraft, 6 PLAN vessels and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 14 out of 34 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded."
On April 17, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted sharply to a joint statement released by China and Vietnam, which mentioned Taiwan as part of China and described it "a serious distortion of the facts," Taiwan News reported.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit on Tuesday, Vietnam backed China's claim that "Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory" and opposed "any separatist activity" seeking Taiwan Independence, Taiwan News reported, citing Viet Nam News.
In response to the joint statement issued by China and Vietnam, the ministry said it "strongly condemns and firmly refutes the Chinese Communist Party's authoritarian regime for continuing to spread rhetoric that internationally undermines Taiwan's sovereignty." It said that Taiwan's stance on defending national sovereignty remains firm and unchanged.
Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its position that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent nation and is not subordinate to China. The ministry further said that the CCP has never ruled Taiwan.