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The United States has strongly criticised China’s heightened military activity around Taiwan, calling it “illegitimate” and “irresponsible” amid rising tensions just days ahead of the island’s annual Han Kuang defence exercises, Taipei Times reported on Thursday.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) said that between Wednesday and Thursday morning, it tracked 41 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels operating near the island. Among these, 27 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered northern, central, and southwestern sections of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ).
In response, Taiwan deployed patrol aircraft, naval assets, and coastal missile systems to monitor and shadow the intruding forces, the MND said.
A US State Department spokesperson, quoted by Taiwan’s Central News Agency, described China’s military manoeuvres as destabilising and warned that they risk escalating tensions in the region. The official reiterated Washington’s stance that maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is critical to global security and economic interests, urging Beijing to halt its coercive actions.
The US reaffirmed its support for Taiwan, pledging continued assistance across military, economic, and diplomatic domains.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s defence ministry also confirmed that a Chinese rocket launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan on Wednesday evening had flown through the island’s southwestern ADIZ. While the launch vehicle remained outside Earth’s atmosphere and posed no immediate threat, the MND had issued an advance alert and tracked the rocket’s trajectory using surveillance and intelligence systems.
The uptick in Chinese military and aerospace activity is seen as part of Beijing’s broader pressure campaign on Taiwan, especially as the island prepares for its most significant military readiness exercises of the year.
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More ShortsWith inputs from agencies