Chinese military aircraft enter Taiwan’s air space for fourth time in a week, defense ministry says

At least eight Chinese military aircraft and three naval ships were detected near Taiwan Tuesday, the fourth such incident over the past week amid increased tensions in the region. 

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense tweeted Tuesday that eight aircraft and three naval vessels of the People’s Liberation Army were detected around 6 a.m. 

The Defense Ministry said its Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond to these activities. 

The Ministry of National Defense said two of the detected aircraft – an SU-30 and a Y8-EW – crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the unofficial buffer zone separating Taiwan from mainland China, and entered Taiwan’s southwest Air Defense Identification Zone. 

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Tuesday marked the third consecutive day – and fourth over the past week – that the Chinese military has crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. 

Early Monday morning, nearly a dozen Chinese military aircraft and three naval ships were detected near the island nation. 

Following another incident the day prior, the PLA said it had been conducting combat exercises focusing on land strikes, sea assaults and other subjects. 

These exercises, the PLA said, were intended to “test the troops’ joint combat capability and resolutely counter the collusive and provocative acts of the external forces and the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.” 

China made no similar statement after its actions on Tuesday. 

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China has stepped up its pressure on Taiwan’s military in recent years by sending warplanes or navy vessels on an almost-daily basis toward the self-ruled island, which China claims as its own territory. Taiwan split from the mainland in 1949 after a civil war.

Taiwan’s defense ministry said actions in recent days “have severely disrupted the peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and surrounding waters.” 

At the end of December, China sent a record 71 planes and 7 ships toward Taiwan, the largest such scale exercise in 2022.

Taiwan will hold its annual two-day military drills starting Wednesday. The exercise ahead of Lunar New Year holidays is aimed at showcasing its defense capabilities.

Fox News’ Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.