Taiwanese military says 25 Chinese planes and 11 ships approaching island – Military and Defense

HONG KONG, October 14. /TASS/. As many as 25 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and seven People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships have been detected near Taiwan over the past day, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said.

In addition, four official Chinese ships were also detected near the island.

According to the Taiwanese military, 16 aircraft crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones.

The Taiwanese military monitored the situation and deployed aircraft, ships and coastal missile systems.

On Monday, China’s People’s Liberation Army launched the Joint Sword-2024B exercise near Taiwan. According to the PLA Eastern Theater Command, the exercises “serve as a stern warning against the separatist acts of the ‘Taiwan Independence’ forces.”

Taiwan has been governed by a local government since 1949, when the remaining Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after defeat in the Chinese Civil War. Beijing considers the island one of its provinces.