On Monday, Taiwan’s Ministry reported the detection of 39 Chinese warplanes and an aircraft carrier around the island following the transit of a US destroyer through the Taiwan Strait over the weekend.
Taiwan said Monday it had detected 39 Chinese warplanes and an aircraft carrier near the island after a US destroyer and a Canadian frigate transited through the Taiwan Strait over the weekend.
Between Sunday and Monday morning, 26 aircraft and 13 warships were operating around the island, while another 13 planes were detected since the early hours of Monday, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry.
The Ministry added that China’s Shandong carrier was also detected Monday around 60 nautical miles southeast of Taiwan’s southernmost tip, Eluanbi, sailing eastward and entering the Western Pacific for training. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force, if necessary.
Recently, Beijing has ratcheted up military and political pressure on Taiwan, often conducting naval exercises or sending warplanes buzzing overhead to coincide with diplomatic engagements with Taipei. On Saturday, China said its troops were “on constant high alert” after the two ships from the United States and Canada sailed through the Taiwan Strait.
The US Navy said the ships were the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and HMCS Ottawa. The transit “demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific.” The United States and Western allies have increased “freedom of navigation” crossings of both the Taiwan Strait and the disputed South China Sea to reinforce that both are international waterways, angering Beijing.
Miroslava Salazar, with AFP
