More than a dozen Chinese aircraft were detected around Taiwan on Monday morning after the US Navy and Marine Corps held a joint exercise in the South China Sea.
“18 PLA aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond to these activities,” Taiwan’s Defense Ministry tweeted.
“11 of the detected aircraft (J-11*2, J-10*4, J-16*2, Z-9 ASW, Y-8 ASW, and BZK-005 UAV RECCE) had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s southwest ADIZ, flight paths as illustrated,” it added.
Amid the deteriorating relations between China and US, the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit carried out the “integrated expeditionary strike force” operations in the South China Sea on Saturday. And China’s incursions have become the latest sign of aggression against the exercise, according to Fox News.
“The mobility and sustainability provided by amphibious platforms give the Navy and Marine Corps team an asymmetric advantage in a maritime environment,” the 7th Fleet based in Japan said.
“This seamless naval integration established a powerful presence in the region, which supports peace and stability,” it added.
China’s claim to a wide swath of the South China Sea has put the country at odds with its neighbors in the region, reported Fox News.
In December, the State Department called on China “to respect the international law of the sea in the South China Sea,” saying that their actions “reflect a continuing disregard for other South China Sea claimants and states lawfully operating in the region.”
US and China relations have hit a rough patch in the wake of the shooting down of the suspected Chinese spy balloon over South Carolina coast.
In total, the US has shot down four unidentified objects since then.
“Make no mistake: as we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did,” President Biden said in his State of the Union address last week, reported Fox News.