Taiwan’s defense ministry says nearly two dozen Chinese military aircraft and ships were detected in the Taiwan Strait Monday, with 11 of Beijing’s planes crossing the median line dividing the two countries.
The intrusion into the buffer zone came after the US Navy and Marines announced joint military exercises in the South China Sea.
Tensions between the US and China have escalated following the incident where a Chinese spy balloon flew over much of mainland US before being shot down by a US forces off South Carolina.
In recent days, the US has shot down three more unidentified objects – one off Alaska, one over Northern Canada, and one over the Great Lakes – the origins of those objects are yet to be determined.
On Monday, the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense reported the detection of 18 People’s Liberation Army planes in the Taiwan Strait, with 11 of them crossing the median line and entering the country’s southwest air defense identification zone, as well as the presence of four Chinese ships near Taiwan.
