Taiwan detects 59 Chinese military planes, 11 warships near island

The ministry said that 39 Chinese planes crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered Taiwan's air defence zones

A Chinese fishing boat sails across the Taiwan Strait near the Taiwan-controlled Niushan Island, off Pingtan Island, Fujian province, China, April 9, 2023. | Photo Credit: Reuters

The Taiwan Defence Ministry said it spotted 59 Chinese military planes near Taiwan up until 10 a.m. (0200 GMT) on April 10.

The ministry said that, among them, 39 Chinese planes crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered Taiwan's air defence zones.

China launched military drills around Taiwan on April 8, in what it called a "stern warning" to the self-ruled island's government following a meeting between its President and the U.S. House Speaker.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen immediately denounced the drills, pledging to work with "the U.S. and other like-minded countries" in the face of "continued authoritarian expansionism".

China’s military simulated precision strikes against Taiwan in a second day of drills around the island on April 9, 2023, with the island’s defence ministry reporting multiple air force sorties and that it was monitoring China’s missile forces.

A Taiwan security source told Reuters that on April 8, the Chinese drills around the Bashi Channel, which separates Taiwan from the Philippines, included simulated attacks on aircraft carrier groups as well as anti-submarine drills.