Taiwanese Defense Ministry Says China Sent 22 Aircraft, 4 Vessels to Taiwan Strait

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Taiwan's armed forces detected 22 aircraft and four warships of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) approaching the self-governed island on Sunday, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said.

"22 PLA aircraft and 4 PLAN [People's Liberation Army Navy] vessels around our surrounding region were detected today (Oct. 2, 2022) until 1700 [09:00 GMT]," the ministry said on Twitter.

As per minitry's statement, eight of the detected aircraft crossed the so-called "median line" of the Taiwan Strait, which serves as an unofficial maritime border between the island and mainland China. These aircraft included two J-11 and two J-16 fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles BZK-005 and CH-4, as well as Y-8 and Y-9 electronic-warfare aircraft.

The Taiwanese military monitored the situation and responded by sending civil air patrol, issuing radio warnings and deploying air defense missile systems, the ministry added.

The situation around Taiwan escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in early August. China condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island. Several countries, including France, Lithuania, the United States, Japan and most recently Germany have sent their delegations to the island since then, further increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan — a territory with its own elected government — maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.