Taiwan says it detected 18 Chinese aircraft, 4 warships near island

Taiwan claimed on Thursday that it had detected 18 Chinese aircraft and four warships, some of which crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

"18 PLA (People's Liberation Army) aircraft and 4 PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy) vessels around Taiwan were detected … today," the Taiwan Defense Ministry said in a brief statement posted on its website.

It added that four of the detected aircraft had crossed the strait's median line and entered Taiwan's southwest or southeast Air Defense Information Zone (ADIZ) during the past 24 hours.

China, which considers Taiwan its "breakaway province," does not recognize the median line or the air defense zone. Taipei, however, has insisted on its independence since 1949.

Meanwhile, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said that PLA Eastern Theater Command recently held routine naval, and air joint combat alert patrols around the island of Taiwan.

In response to Taiwan's recent statement about the mainland's obligation to respect the island's regional election result, Wu said that the island of Taiwan will reunify with the motherland and that the PLA always speaks with action.

"If 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces break the bottom line, the PLA will take resolute measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Global Times quoted Wu as saying.