90 PLA warplanes cross Taiwan Strait median line as China stages drills

Taipei, Dec. 30 (CNA) Ninety People's Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6 a.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday while China staged military exercises around Taiwan, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

The MND said China's PLA sent 130 warplanes and drones during the 24-hour period to "harass" Taiwan, with 90 of them crossing the Taiwan Strait's median line and flying in Taiwanese airspace around the island.

Fourteen Chinese warships and eight government vessels were detected near Taiwan during the same period, the MND said.

The movements by the PLA's planes and ships came after China announced large-scale military drills around Taiwan code-named "Justice Mission-2025," which include live-fire exercises scheduled between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday.

During China's "Joint Sword-2024B" drill on Oct. 14, 2024, a record high of 153 Chinese warplanes were detected near Taiwan in a 24-hour period.

On Monday, the MND also detected a PLA balloon at an altitude of 29,000 feet about 59 nautical miles northwest of Keelung City in northern Taiwan at around 3:30 p.m. The ministry said the balloon "disappeared" around 4:10 p.m.

In response to the drills, Taiwan's Air Force Air Defense and Missile Command on Tuesday sent the Haifeng Brigade, currently stationed in Hualien, to Taitung to strengthen coastal defense capabilities.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's army conducted combat readiness and reconnaissance patrol exercises on Tuesday to protect key targets across Penghu County, a Taiwanese island chain located in the Taiwan Strait.

These actions aimed to strengthened battlefield operations and demonstrate the "powerful mobility" and combat capabilities of Taiwan's armed forces, the Army said.

In addition, Taiwanese F-16 fighter jets were spotted taking off and landing in the Chihhang Air Base in Taitung over the past two days, but the ministry said those flights were regular exercises.