Taiwan’s defense minister has pointed to a spike in Chinese military activity in the airspace and waters around the island, after local officials reported dozens of fighter jet and bomber flights in recent weeks.
Speaking to reporters for a Thursday news briefing in Taipei, Chiu Kuo-cheng described the uptick in military operations by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), saying they have engaged in “land, sea, air and amphibious” drills throughout September. “[The] recent enemy situation is quite abnormal,” he said.
Less than 24 hours after Chiu’s remarks, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry reported that 10 Chinese military aircraft and five navy vessels were detected “around Taiwan,” claiming two of the planes had entered the island’s air defense identification zone.
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“[Taiwanese] Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked… aircraft, navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond to these activities,” the ministry added.
