Nearly two dozen Chinese aircraft and naval vessels were detected around Taiwan on Monday morning after the US Navy and Marine Corps held joint exercises in the South China Sea over the weekend.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said 18 People’s Liberation Army aircraft were detected, 11 of which crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial buffer zone between the island and China. Four vessels were also detected around Taiwan.
China’s incursions have become an almost daily occurrence in recent months, but the latest sign of aggression comes days after the US Navy and Marine Corps conducted joint exercises in the South China Sea.
FILE PHOTO: A Chinese military jet flies over Pingtan Island, one of mainland China’s closest points to Taiwan, in Fujian province. (HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)
The USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted “integrated expeditionary strike force” operations on Saturday.
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“The mobility and sustainability provided by amphibious platforms gives the Navy and Marine Corps team an asymmetrical advantage in a maritime environment,” 7th Fleet explained.
“This seamless naval integration has established a powerful presence in the region, which supports peace and stability.”
China’s claim to a large portion of the South China Sea has put the country at odds with its neighbors in the region.
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In December, the State Department called on China to “respect the international law of the sea in the South China Sea,” saying their actions “reflect continued contempt for other claimants to the South China Sea and for states legally operating in the region”.
The latest US exercises also come amid rising tensions between Beijing and Washington, DC
China’s spy balloon drifts towards the ocean after being shot down off the coast of Surfside Beach, South Carolina, United States, on February 4, 2023. (REUTERS/Randall Hill)
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On February 4, the United States shot down a 200-foot Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina.
“Make no mistake: As we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we have,” President Biden said in his State of the Union address last week.
