Taipei: The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command is holding live-fire drills along China’s southeastern coast, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday. In conducting these drills in waters off Zhejiang and Fuzhou, China has established several no-sail zones in the Taiwan Strait, primarily close to its own coastline, the MND stated.

According to Focus Taiwan, Taiwan’s armed forces are closely monitoring the situation using their joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. The forces have been appropriately deployed in response to the developments. At 11:30 a.m., the MND reported detecting 20 PLA planes near Taiwan since 8:50 a.m. These aircraft, which include J-11 fighter jets, Y-8 transport aircraft, and drones, were part of a routine “joint combat readiness patrol” alongside PLA ships.

The MND’s statement highlighted that thirteen of these aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or its extension, entering the northern, central, and southwestern parts
of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ). In response, Taiwan’s military maintained close surveillance on the PLA movements, deploying combat readiness patrol aircraft, vessels, and coastal missile defense systems as necessary.

An ADIZ is a self-declared zone where a country asserts the right to identify, locate, and control foreign aircraft approaching its airspace, although it is not considered part of its territorial airspace under international law.