Chinese Military Deploys 91 Aircraft to Encircle Taiwan... Highest Number Ever

China has conducted the largest-ever military demonstration in the Taiwan Strait, escalating military tensions between the US and China. In response to the meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, China carried out the military demonstration by surrounding Taiwan on all sides. On the final day, the 10th, a record number of 91 Chinese military aircraft were deployed around Taiwan, setting a new record for the most aircraft involved in a single day.

According to Taiwan's Central News Agency and Liberty Times, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported that from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time, 91 Chinese military aircraft including Su-30, J-10, J-11, J-14, J-16 fighter jets, H-6 bombers, YU-20 aerial refueling aircraft, early warning aircraft KJ-200 and KJ-500, and electronic warfare aircraft Y-8 and Y-9 were identified around Taiwan.

The media reported that the number of aircraft identified during the 12-hour period alone surpassed the previous record for the most aircraft in a single day.

Of the 91 aircraft, 54 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered Taiwan’s southwestern or southeastern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense.

During the same 12-hour period, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense also identified a total of 12 Chinese naval vessels around Taiwan.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the military drills in a statement released that night, saying, "China deliberately used military exercises to undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait." The ministry added, "Taiwan will maintain close relations with the United States to jointly resist the expansion of authoritarianism."

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense also issued a statement saying that China has ended the exercises, but Taiwan will not cease strengthening its combat readiness and will continue to closely monitor the movements of Chinese missile units and the aircraft carrier Shandong.

On the same day, Colonel Sui, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army responsible for Taiwan, announced the conclusion of the three-day exercises, stating, "From the 8th to the 10th, we successfully completed the combat readiness patrol and 'Sharp Sword' joint exercises surrounding Taiwan, fully testing the integrated joint operational capabilities of various military branches under realistic conditions."

Meanwhile, China’s state-run CCTV praised the participation of the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong fleet in the exercises, highlighting its demonstration of blue-water operational capabilities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.