Taiwan's Defense Ministry reported 24 PRC planes and four ships approaching the island

Over the past 24 hours, the Taiwanese armed forces have detected 24 aircraft and four ships of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). This was reported by the press service of Taiwan's defense ministry on January 3.

"Twenty-four PLA aircraft and seven PLAN watercraft were detected in the Taiwan area. 18 of them crossed the median line and invaded Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern air defense zones," the press service said in a post on social network X (former Twitter).

It is specified that the Taiwanese authorities were monitoring the situation and were able to respond to the incident in a timely manner.

Earlier, on December 30, Taiwan's defense agency reported about the approach to the island 23 aircraft and six ships of the People's Liberation Army of China. Prior to that, on December 29, Taiwan's Defense Ministry reported five planes and five ships of the People's Republic of China approaching the island. Three planes crossed the median line and entered the northern and southwestern air defense zone.

On December 20, it was reported that the U.S. State Department approved the possible sale of a military communications system and related equipment to Taipei's economic and cultural representative office in the United States at an estimated cost of $265 million. At the same time, current U.S. President Joe Biden authorized $571 million in military aid to Taiwan.

The conflict between China and Taiwan escalated after former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in August 2022. The Chinese side considers Taiwan its 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.