TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) detected 103 Chinese aircraft over the Taiwan Strait on Monday (Sept. 18), with 40 crossing the median line and entering the southwestern and southeastern airspace.
The MND further spotted nine Chinese vessels operating near the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan's armed forces responded by deploying mission aircraft, ships, and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor and counter these activities.
This increase in Chinese aircraft presence from a day earlier is a new high, causing a severe challenge to the security of the Taiwan Strait and the broader region, according to the MND.
The MND emphasized peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as a joint responsibility of all parties in the Indo-Pacific region crucial to security and prosperity. The ministry called on Beijing authorities to cease such unilateral, destructive actions immediately.
The MND also reaffirmed its commitment to surveil and respond to all activities threatening regional security closely.
