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Taepei
Hours after China announced the launch of military drills spanning three days, Taiwan's defence ministry said that eight Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets were spotted around the island on Saturday.
The ministry expressed "solemn condemnation of such irrational actions", adding the detections — which included 29 jets crossing Taiwan's median line — took place between 6 am and 11 am local time, reports AFP news agency.
Earlier in the day, China announced that it was launching three days of military drills in the Taiwan Strait. According to the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command, "United Sharp Sword" would run from April 8 to 10 for "combat preparedness." In a PLA statement, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesman for the Eastern Theatre Command, said the exercise would involve police patrol drills in the Taiwan Strait, "to the north and south of Taiwan, and in the sea and airspace to the east of Taiwan".
The exact location of these drills is not yet known.
China's military is rehearsing an "encirclement" of Taiwan during the drills, state media reported. "The task force will simultaneously organise patrols and advances around Taiwan island, shaping an all-round encirclement and deterrence posture," CCTV said.
China views self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary.
The announcement of the military drills comes after Taiwanese President Tsai In-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on Wednesday. Hours before the meeting, Beijing sent its Shandong aircraft carrier through Taiwan's southeastern waters on its way to the western Pacific.
On Saturday, Taiwan's defence ministry said it detected three warships and 13 Chinese aircraft around the island, following President Tsai's return from the US.
The ministry said three ships and 13 aircraft had been detected around Taiwan by 6 am local time (2200 GMT) on Saturday and "4 of the detected aircraft had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southeast ADIZ".
On Thursday, China had deployed warships around Taiwan as it vowed a firm and forceful response to the Tsai-McCarthy meeting.
(With inputs from agencies)
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