DEFENSE/Taiwan decries China's sudden establishment of 'shooting zone'

Taipei, Feb. 26 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) has "strongly condemned" China for setting up a zone near Taiwan for "shooting exercises" without prior notice, similar to a recent incident that occurred near Australia.

China demarcated a military training and exercise area in waters about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometers) off the Kaohsiung and Pingtung County coast to be used for "shooting drills," the MND said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the MND, China informed it on Wednesday of an imminent shooting drill in unspecified areas through radio transmissions, though the MND did not specify the exact time it received the notification.

The move posed a grave danger to international flight safety and to ships operating nearby, the MND said.

"The Ministry of Defense strongly condemns the demarcation of the zone without any prior notice, which is a blatant violation of international norms," the statement said.

Meanwhile, as of 2:10 p.m. Wednesday, China had sent 32 military aircraft into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) since 8:42 a.m., including 22 that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or its extension.

The Chinese aircraft are conducting a "joint combat readiness patrol" -- the ninth this year and fifth this month -- with Chinese warships, the MND said.

These actions are a "blatant challenge to regional security" and run counter to China's claims that it seeks to work together with the international community in pursuit of peace and prosperity in a way that promotes mutual respect.

The MND said it has deployed air, sea, and land forces in response to the threats.

China has recently conducted live-fire exercises in waters off Vietnam and Australia and intimidated the Philippines with a series of maneuvers aimed at changing the "status quo," all of which show that it is the sole and greatest threat to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, the MND said.

Taiwan's armed forces will continue strengthening their defense capabilities and closely monitor the situation in and around the Taiwan Strait to ensure national security, the MND said.

An ADIZ is a self-declared area in which a country claims the right to identify, locate and control approaching aircraft, but it is not part of that country's territorial airspace as defined by international law.