Taipei : Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected seven sorties of Chinese military aircraft and 11 naval vessels operating around its territorial waters as of 6 am (local time) on Friday.
Taiwan said it monitored the situation and responded. In a post on X, the MND said, "7 sorties of PLA aircraft and 11 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and responded."
Earlier on Thursday, the MND detected 40 sorties of Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels around itself. Of the 40, 26 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern and eastern ADIZ.
In a post on X, the MND said, "40 sorties of PLA aircraft and 8 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 26 out of 40 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded."
Meanwhile, China has assigned two to four individuals specialising in Taiwan issues to its embassies in various democratic nations to observe and intimidate Taiwanese, actions that the host countries are unlikely to accept, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen stated, according to the Taipei Times.
Tsai made these remarks during a session of the legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defence Committee, which requested him and Minister of National Defence Wellington Koo to discuss potential conflicts in the Taiwan Strait and military readiness.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin voiced worries that Beijing has dispatched personnel from China's Taiwan Affairs Office to its embassies abroad to surveil and intimidate Taiwanese businesspeople, expatriates, and exchange students, according to the Taipei Times report.
Tsai acknowledged that China occasionally sends two to four staff members with expertise on Taiwan issues to its foreign embassies, though he could not specify which countries are involved. The bureau is monitoring the situation and working with local authorities to ensure that Chinese officials do not harass Taiwanese citizens overseas, Tsai said, according to the Taipei Times.