Taiwan's Defense Ministry says 33 aircraft and eight PRC ships approached in 24 hours

Taiwan has detected the approach of 33 aircraft and eight ships of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA). Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said on November 29.

"33 PLA aircraft and eight PLA ships operating around Taiwan were detected today. 21 aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern air defense (air defense) zones," the ministry's press office informed on the X network (formerly Twitter).

The Defense Ministry also noted that it was monitoring the situation and responded adequately.

Earlier, on Nov. 23, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said 25 Chinese aircraft approached it within a day. The province's armed forces monitored the situation and responded appropriately.

On Nov. 13, the provincial Ministry of Defense reported 24 aircraft and six Chinese PLA ships recorded near the province in a 24-hour period. At the same time, 15 Chinese Army aircraft crossed the midline of the strait.

The escalation of the conflict between China and Taiwan occurred after the visit to the island by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August 2022. The Chinese side considers Taiwan to be its own territory, so it views visits to the island by officials from other countries as support for Taiwan's independence.

Official relations between the PRC government and its island province broke down in 1949 when the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek, who lost in a civil war with the Communist Party of China, moved to Taiwan. Contacts between the island and mainland China resumed in the late 1980s. The U.S. openly supports the Taiwanese authorities.