TAIPEI: Taiwan’s defense ministry said Tuesday it had detected 23 Chinese aircraft around the island in a window of less than three hours.
China maintains a near-daily military presence around self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.
“Since 8:20 a.m. (0020 GMT), we have successively detected a total of 23 aircraft... including 16 that crossed the median line,” the defense ministry said, referring to a line bisecting the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from China.
The ministry statement, issued at 10:40 a.m., said that the aircraft included fighter jets, transport aircraft and drones.
Taiwan’s “military is using joint intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance methods to closely monitor the situation.”
Tuesday’s surge comes after China sent in 19 aircraft, eight naval vessels, and four Chinese coast guard ships around Taiwan within a 24-hour period ending at 6 am Tuesday, according to Taipei’s daily report.
Tensions on the strait have been ramped up since the May 20 inauguration of Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te.
China said his inauguration speech — in which he vowed to defend Taiwan’s democracy and freedom — was akin to a “confession of Taiwan independence.”
Three days later it launched war games around Taiwan, encircling the island with warplanes and ships as a “punishment” for “separatist acts.”
China has said it would never renounce the use of force to take control of Taiwan.
Taiwan detects 23 Chinese aircraft around the island
https://arab.news/4q2ek
Taiwan detects 23 Chinese aircraft around the island
- China maintains a near-daily military presence around self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory
- China has said it would never renounce the use of force to take control of Taiwan
Germany plays down threat of US invading Greenland after talks
WASHINGTON: Germany’s top diplomat on Monday played down the risk of a US attack on Greenland, after President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to seize the island from NATO ally Denmark.
Asked after meeting Secretary of State Marco Rubio about a unilateral military move by Trump, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said: “I have no indication that this is being seriously considered.”
“Rather, I believe there is a common interest in addressing the security issues that arise in the Arctic region, and that we should and will do so,” he told reporters.
“NATO is only now in the process of developing more concrete plans on this, and these will then be discussed jointly with our US partners.”
Wadephul’s visit comes ahead of talks this week in Washington between Rubio and the top diplomats of Denmark and Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.
Trump in recent days has vowed that the United States will take Greenland “one way or the other” and said he can do it “the nice way or the more difficult way.”
Greenland’s government on Monday repeated that it would not accept a US takeover under “any circumstance.”
Greenland and NATO also said Monday that they were working on bolstering defense of the Arctic territory, a key concern cited by Trump.
Trump has repeatedly pointed to growing Arctic activity by Russia and China as a reason why the United States needs to take over Greenland.
But he has also spoken more broadly of his desire to expand the land mass controlled by the United States.
