DEFENSE/China sends 60 warplanes, vessels near Taiwan

Taipei, Feb. 27 (CNA) China sent 45 warplanes and 15 vessels to the vicinity of Taiwan proper in the 24-hour period starting at 6 a.m. Wednesday, as the People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted its fifth "joint combat readiness patrol" of the month, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Thursday.

Of the 45 aircraft, 14 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, while 20 others crossed its extension and entered the southwestern and central parts of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), a flight map released by the MND showed.

Meanwhile, 14 Chinese warships and one other vessel were detected in waters around Taiwan, including seven that were operating in a military exercise and training area near the Kaohsiung and Pingtung coast, which was demarcated by China for "shooting exercises" on Wednesday.

According to information released by the MND, the area lies about 40 nautical miles from Taiwan's southern coast and is 70 nautical miles wide and 20 nautical miles deep.

The PLA on Wednesday was conducting a "joint combat readiness patrol" around Taiwan, its ninth this year, which contributed to the uptick in the number of Chinese military aircraft and vessels detected near Taiwan in the 24-hour period, starting at 6 a.m.

On Wednesday night, the MND released two videos taken at sea by personnel onboard a Taiwan military vessels during the PLA drills.

One of the videos, taken from a frigate named the Pan Chao, showed a Chinese Type 071 amphibious transport dock and a Type 903 replenishment ship in the distance.

In the other video, taken from a guided missile destroyer named the Su Ao, a Taiwan Navy officer was seen contacting a Chinese Type 054A guided missile frigate via radio transmission, warning the Chinese crew that establishing a restricted area in Taiwan's exclusive economic zone is a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and demanding that it immediately stop its actions.

The release of the two videos marked a break from the MND's usual restraint in publicizing information about the types of PLA military vessels or aircraft deployed in drills around Taiwan, to avoid causing unnecessary panic.