The Ministry of National Defense stated today (26) that since 0842 hours, it has detected 32 sorties of Chinese J-11, KJ-500 and other types of main and auxiliary fighters and drones going out to sea, of which 22 sorties crossed the median line and its extension line and entered our northern and southwestern airspace to cooperate with the Chinese warships in the so-called “joint combat readiness patrol”; during this period, it blatantly violated international practice and set up an exercise area without warning in the waters about 40 nautical miles off the coast of Kaohsiung and Pingtung, claiming that it would conduct “shooting training.” The Ministry of National Defense expressed strong condemnation of this and immediately dispatched naval, air and land forces to monitor and guard and take appropriate measures.
The Ministry of National Defense emphasized that the Chinese Communist Party announced without warning through temporary radio broadcasts that it would conduct “shooting training” in specific areas in international waterways. This move not only posed a high risk to the navigation safety of international flights and ships at sea, but was also a blatant provocation to regional security and stability. At a time when the world is committed to peace, the CCP’s move is completely contrary to the principles of “peaceful coexistence” such as “mutual respect” and “building prosperity together” that it has repeatedly proclaimed.
The Ministry of National Defense further pointed out that the CCP’s recent shooting training off the coast of Vietnam and Australia, its military deterrence against the Philippines and other actions that undermine the status quo are sufficient to prove that China is the only and biggest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region. The national army will continue to work hard to build up the army and prepare for war, and closely monitor the situation around the Taiwan Strait to ensure national defense security.
South China Morning Post