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Taiwan reports flurry of mainland Chinese military aircraft around island
- More than 20 People’s Liberation Army planes and drones spotted in three hours, Taiwanese defence ministry says
- Activity comes in the countdown to William Lai’s inauguration on May 20
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Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Saturday it detected 22 People’s Liberation Army warplanes and drones around the self-ruled island in a window of less than three hours.
The sorties come less than a month before the May 20 inauguration of Taiwanese president-elect William Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing regards as a dangerous separatist.
“We detected activities from 22 PLA aircraft ... since 9.30am,” it said in a statement released at 12.10pm on Saturday.
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“Twelve aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern and central air defence identification zone,” it said, adding that the warplanes and drones joined the PLA naval vessels in “joint combat patrol”.
The median line bisects the Taiwan Strait, a narrow 180km (110-mile) waterway separating the island from mainland China.
Beijing, which does not recognise the line, claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to arm Taiwan.
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