(Taipei) Taiwan said Friday it had detected 36 Chinese military aircraft around the island in the past 24 hours.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement that it had detected six Chinese warships and 36 military aircraft, 35 of which “crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait” over a 24-hour period through 6 a.m. local time Friday (6 p.m. Eastern Time), referring to the line that bisects the 180-kilometer-wide strait between the island and mainland China.
The institution added that it had “monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”
Taiwan on Thursday accused China of harassing one of its fishing boats in waters near the Penghu Islands, a day after Beijing seized a Taiwanese vessel it accused of “illegal fishing.”
The incident occurred 111 kilometers northwest of the Penghu archipelago, located in the center of the strait separating China and Taiwan, and comes as Taipei demanded Beijing immediately release another fishing boat carrying two Taiwanese and three Indonesians, seized by the Chinese coast guard off the Chinese mainland.
China unveiled a series of rules in mid-June that allow its coast guard to detain foreigners without trial in the South China Sea, a disputed maritime area, for up to 60 days.
The boat, suspected of illegal fishing off Quanzhou in southeast China’s Fujian Province, was inspected and detained on Tuesday, according to a Chinese coast guard spokesman.
Taiwan’s fisheries department stressed that the area where the incident occurred was a “traditional fishing ground” for both sides.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it will not rule out using force to bring the island back under its control.
In recent years, it has increased its military pressure on the island, sending warplanes, drones and ships almost daily.
A Chinese military drone was detected Tuesday morning by the Taiwanese army in the Matsu Islands, off the coast of mainland China.
China held military exercises around the island in May after the inauguration of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing considers a “dangerous separatist.”
According to the Taiwanese Defense Ministry, the Chinese military had sent up to 62 military aircraft around Taiwan in one day.