Taiwan monitors unprovoked' Chinese combat patrol near island

Taiwan reported a second Chinese joint combat readiness patrol near the island within a week and said its forces responded. Taiwan’s National Defence Ministry said it detected 29 Chinese aircraft, including fighter jets, and seven warships operating around Taiwan. It reported that 24 aerial sorties crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan accused Beijing of being the sole source of instability in the Indo-Pacific. The patrol followed a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where Taiwan was discussed. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, while Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claims. Taiwan also reported seeing the Liaoning carrier group in the West Pacific.

"Taiwan has said it is monitoring the second Chinese joint combat readiness patrol near the island in a week, accusing Beijing of being the sole source of instability in the Asia Pacific. In a post on X on Tuesday, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said its forces had responded to the situation."

"Taiwan's National Defence Ministry said on Tuesday it had detected 29 Chinese aircraft, including fighter jets, and seven warships operating around the island. The ministry reported that 24 of the aerial sorties had crossed the median line, an unofficial maritime and aerial buffer zone that runs through the middle of the Taiwan Strait."

"Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, accused China of being the sole source of instability in the Asia Pacific region. For the 2nd time in a week, shortly after the Beijing summit, the PLA conducted a joint combat readiness patrol' around Taiwan. We also spotted the Liaoning carrier group in the West Pacific. This is unprovoked. The PRC is the sole source of instability in the IndoPacific, he wrote on X."

"On Saturday, Wu said China had deployed more than 100 ships up and down the first island chain, an area that stretches from Japan down to Taiwan and into the Philippines. Earlier this month, President Xi warned Trump that their two countries could clash over Taiwan if the issue is mishandled. Since then, Trump has cautioned Taipei against formally declaring independence from China, prompting the island to issue a statem"

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