(Taipei) Thirty-two Chinese warplanes have been detected around Taiwan, the second largest deployment since the start of the year, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry announced Thursday.
During a 24-hour period up to 6 a.m. local Thursday (6 p.m. [heure de l’Est] Wednesday), the territory’s Defense Ministry also detected five warships operating around Taiwan, it said in a statement.
Twenty planes “crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait”, an unofficial demarcation between China and Taiwan that the former does not recognize, he said in a press release.
Taiwan’s armed forces “monitored the situation and used (patrol) aircraft, naval vessels and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities.”
Taiwan is an autonomous island that Beijing claims as part of its territory and which it wants to seize one day, by force if necessary.
On two other occasions in late January and early February, the ministry detected 33 Chinese warplanes around the island, the highest number of aircraft deployed since the start of the year.
These deployments were noted shortly after the presidential election of January 13, won by the current vice-president Lai Ching-te, little appreciated by Beijing.
Last month, Taiwan said 11 Chinese warships had been detected around the island, the highest number this year, amid a row between Taipei and Beijing over an incident on a fishing boat increases tensions.
On February 14, this ship was chased by the Taiwanese coast guard for having, according to them, entered the waters of Kinmen, a small archipelago administered by Taipei, but located only five kilometers from the city of Xiamen, in the Chinese province of Fujian.
During the collision, all four people on board fell into the water and two of them lost their lives. The other two, rescued, were arrested before being able to return to mainland China on Wednesday.
Beijing accused Taiwanese authorities of “seeking to evade responsibility and hide the truth” about the incident, while a Taiwanese coast guard official said the boat involved was zigzagging and “lost control.” balance” before capsizing.