Urgent! China sends record fleet of warplanes and missile-carrying drones to Taiwan Strait

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported that a record 56 aircraft from People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait in the last 24 hours.

This number is part of a total of 66 planes and missile-carrying drones detected in the island’s air defense identification zone.

The median line, an unofficial boundary on a waterway 180 km which separates Taiwan from mainland China, has never been officially recognized by Beijing and has been a point of ongoing tension.

In parallel, China held military exercises east of the Canal Bashiinvolving the aircraft carrier Shandong.

These movements coincide with the realization of the Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac)the largest international naval exercise led by the USA and its 28 allies, aiming to send a clear message to China.

Additionally, another 26 PLA aircraft were sighted southeast of Taiwan, indicating a continued and significant military presence in the region.

According to the retired ELP instructor, Song Zhongpingthe exercises with the aircraft carrier are intended to pressure Taiwan’s pro-independence forces and demonstrate to external forces, especially the United States, Beijing’s determination to promote Taiwan’s reunification with mainland China.

This escalation occurs in a context of growing tension, where Beijing has intensified its statements and actions, rejecting the existence of the median line and increasing its military activities around Taiwan.

The previous record for PLA aircraft crossing the median line in a single day was 54, set in April 2023, with a peak of 103 planes detected on a single day in September of the same year.

With information from SCMP