JAKARTA – Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said on Friday it had detected a new attack by Chinese military aircraft across the sensitive Taiwan Strait, when Beijing reported its navy had carried out combat exercises by landing craft.
The Defense Ministry said in its morning daily report of China’s activity within the previous 24 hours, that 14 Chinese military aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, approaching 41 nautical miles (76 km) to the port city of Keelung in northern Taiwan, home to a major naval base.
The midline previously served as an unofficial border between the two sides, but Chinese military aircraft are now frequently crossing it. The bamboo Curtain country said it did not recognize the existence of the line.
Taiwan said on Thursday China had carried out a “joint combat readiness patrol” near the island for the second time in a week.
The country’s top security official said on Wednesday Taiwan was wary of China for conducting military exercises ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Lai Ching-te on May 20.
Taiwan’s Director General of National Security Bureau Tsai Ming-yen said China began using new unusual tactics, including conducting night combat patrols and using landing boats and mine-probing vessels in the patrol.
China’s coast guard this week has also carried out more patrols around Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands located next to the Chinese coast. The patrol began in February, following a dispute over the deaths of two Chinese nationals who tried to flee Taiwanese coast guard while entering forbidden waters.
Separately, the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, which is in charge of the surrounding Taiwan region, showed images on the social media accounts of WeChat ships performing what they refer to as live combat landing exercises.
The report did not say when or where the exercise was carried out, but showed an image of the weapon mounted on the ship opening fire and operating in a formation.
“The front line of the landing team is always ready to fight,” the command said in the text accompanying the image.
Chinese state media said the “normal law enforcement checks” carried out by coast guards near Kinmen on Friday were to help protect fishermen. Taiwan denounced the patrol as an intimidation tactic.
It is known that China’s military has significantly increased its activities around democratically-ruled Taiwan over the past four years. Beijing views the island as its own territory, a stance the Taipei Government has rejected.
Tag: international china taiwan konflik china dan taiwan
Tags: Taipei Claims Dozens Chinese Planes Cross Taiwan Strait Beijing Calls Landing Exercises
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