MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th October, 2022) Taiwan's defense ministry said on Wednesday that the island's armed forces registered 33 aircraft and four ships of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) approaching the island during the day.
"33 PLA aircraft and 4 PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy) vessels around our surrounding region were detected today (Oct. 5, 2022) until 17:00 (GMT+8)," the ministry said on Twitter.
According to the ministry, four J-11 fighters, four J-16s, and one Y-8 electronic intelligence aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan sent an air patrol to monitor the situation, issued radio warnings, and deployed anti-aircraft missile systems, the ministry added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said that Taiwan would retaliate if the Chinese armed forces crossed the "red line." He also noted that the entry of Chinese warplanes into the island's airspace would be regarded as a "first strike," but did not specify what response Taiwan would take.
The situation around Taiwan escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in early August. China condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island. Several countries, including France, Lithuania, the United States, Japan, and most recently Germany have sent their delegations to the island since then, further increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan � a territory with its own elected government � maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.
