DEFENSE/50 Chinese warplanes, ships detected around Taiwan as Lai visits Kinmen

Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) China sent 50 military planes and vessels to the vicinity of Taiwan in the 24 hours starting 6 a.m. Friday, while President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) was visiting Kinmen for the first time since taking office in May to mark the 66th anniversary of the 823 Artillery Bombardment.

According to flight paths released Saturday by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND), 38 military aircraft were detected in Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), the highest number recorded in recent weeks.

The figure included 16 that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and 16 others that crossed its extension.

Of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft that crossed the extension of the median line, two drones entered the southwestern part of Taiwan's ADIZ before flying along its southern, eastern, and northern shores, almost circumnavigating the island.

In addition, 12 Chinese military vessels were detected in waters around Taiwan during the same 24-hour period, according to the MND.

Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the PLA likely stepped up its activities around Taiwan in response to Lai's speech in Kinmen, a crucial military outpost, on Friday.

The president was on the island to pay his respects to military personnel who died in the 823 Artillery Bombardment.

During his speech, Lai said his administration was firm in its resolve to defend the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan's official name), including Taiwan proper and the Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu islands in the face of threats posed by China.

Lai cautioned against China's attempt to annex Taiwan and change the "rules-based" international order not only in the Western Pacific but in the entire world.

He also noted that his administration has earmarked more funds to acquire advanced weapons systems and improve the training of troops, which demonstrates that Taiwan is willing to stand with democratic countries in ensuring peace in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific.

Lai's remarks drew a scathing response from China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮), who said Lai has "strapped Taiwan on a tank" by attempting to push for Taiwanese independence.

Meanwhile, Su noted China was also ramping up pressure on Taiwan to vent its displeasure over a motion passed by the Australian Senate earlier this week that rejected China's recent bid at the United Nations to marginalize Taiwan in the international community with its interpretation of the U.N. Resolution 2758, which states that "the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government of China."

The motion, moved by a vote by Australian senators, stated that the Resolution 2758, passed in 1971, "does not establish the People's Republic of China's (PRC) sovereignty over Taiwan and does not determine the future status of Taiwan in the United Nations, nor Taiwanese participation in U.N. agencies or international organizations."

Beijing, upset with the Australian motion, was trying to amplify its "political signal" by intensifying drills around Taiwan, Su said.

The 823 Artillery Bombardment, also known as the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, was a battle in which China fired more than 470,000 shells at Kinmen over 44 days in 1958, although intermittent shelling continued well into 1979.

Although Taiwanese forces successfully defended Kinmen, 618 members of Taiwan's armed forces and civilians died in the battle, with another 2,610 injured, according to statistics compiled by Taiwan's government.