Forty five Chinese aircraft detected around Taiwan
The Hindu
Taipei detects 45 Chinese military aircraft around Taiwan, escalating tensions before new President's inauguration.
Taipei said on May 15 it had detected 45 Chinese military aircraft around Taiwan, the highest single-day number this year and coming less than a week before the self-ruled island inaugurates its new President who China regards as a "dangerous separatist".
China claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it would never renounce the use of force to bring it under Beijing's control.
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It has warned that Lai Ching-te, the current Vice-President who will be sworn into Taiwan's top post on May 20, would bring "war and decline" to the island, and tensions have soared since he won the January poll.
On Wednesday, Taipei's Defence Ministry said it had detected 45 Chinese aircraft and six naval vessels operating around Taiwan during the 24-hour period leading up to 6 a.m. (2200 GMT).
"Twenty six of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait," the Ministry said in a statement, referring to a line bisecting the 180-km (110-mile) waterway that separates Taiwan from China.
The Ministry added that it had "monitored the situation and responded accordingly". On Tuesday evening, the Ministry said 23 Chinese aircraft — including fighter jets and drones — were detected around Taiwan during a two-hour period.