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Chinese planes 'increasingly provocative' to Taiwan

www.dw.com Chinese planes 'increasingly provocative' to Taiwan – DW – 05/15/2024

The record number of Chinese daily sorties near Taiwan this year comes ahead of President-elect Lai Ching-te's inauguration on May 20.

Chinese planes 'increasingly provocative' to Taiwan – DW – 05/15/2024

Taiwan reported 45 Chinese warplanes in its airspace within 24 hours, according to its defense ministry on Wednesday.

The record number of Chinese daily sorties this year comes ahead of President-elect Lai Ching-te's inauguration on May 20.

The ministry said that "26 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait," referring to a line bisecting the 180-kilometer (110-mile) waterway separating Taiwan and China. Beijing does not recognize this unofficial boundary.

Six Chinese Navy vessels were also detected, according to the statement.

Taipei emphasized it was monitoring the situation closely and urged Beijing to exercise self-restraint.

"Since late April they have become more and more provocative," the senior Taiwanese security official said.

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