China deploys nearly 60 aircraft after Taiwan leader's statement?

Taiwan's Defense Ministry announced this morning, March 18, that it had detected 59 Chinese aircraft around the island in the previous 24 hours.

Taiwan's defense ministry said that along with 59 aircraft, nine warships and two balloons from China were also detected within the 24 hours leading up to 6 a.m. on March 18, according to AFP.

This is the highest number of Chinese aircraft recorded by Taiwan since the record figure of 153 aircraft reported by Taiwan on October 15, 2024, following large-scale military exercises conducted by China.

China reveals details of its naval "show of force" around Australia.

Of the Chinese aircraft detected by Taiwan in the aforementioned 24-hour period, 54 were involved in joint operational patrols, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated on March 17 that these actions were "a resolute response to the collusion and support of external forces for Taiwan's independence and a stern warning to separatist forces demanding Taiwan's independence."

Chinese fighter jets during a training exercise.

Photo: Screenshot from chinamil.com.cn

Earlier, on March 13, Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te called China an "external hostile force" and proposed measures to counter what he accused China of increasingly encroaching on the island, according to Reuters.

In recent times, the number of people prosecuted in Taiwan for spying for China has increased sharply, according to AFP.

China views Taiwan as an inseparable part of its territory and does not rule out the possibility of using force to reunify it.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trung-quoc-trien-khai-gan-60-may-bay-sau-phat-ngon-cua-lanh-dao-dai-loan-185250318103542377.htm