Taiwan MND: 14 Chinese aircraft sorties, 8 crossing the median line, and 7 PLA Navy ships around the island on 20 October

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) said on 20 October that it detected 14 sorties by aircraft of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), seven PLA Navy ships and seven “official ships” operating around the island in the period from 6 a.m. on 19 October to 6 a.m. on 20 October, Taiwan time.

According to the ministry’s daily report, eight of the 14 aircraft sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the northern, central, southwestern and eastern sectors. The ministry said Taiwan’s armed forces monitored the situation and responded with combat air patrol aircraft, navy ships and coastal missile systems.

The aircraft count is almost three times that of the previous report. For the 24 hours to 6 a.m. on 19 October, the MND counted five aircraft sorties, three of them crossing the median line, together with six PLA Navy ships and nine official ships. Geopolitiki covered that report here: Taiwan MND: 5 Chinese aircraft sorties, 3 crossing the median line, and 6 PLA Navy ships around the island on 19 October.

The figures are Taiwan’s own account of the activity. The report carries no comment from Beijing on the movements and does not say what the aircraft or ships were doing. The MND publishes the counts every day under the heading “PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan”, with maps of the air activity and of the maritime picture attached.

The daily counts sit alongside other recent Taiwanese accounts of Chinese activity near the island. Taiwan’s Coast Guard said it had driven away 16 Chinese vessels at several points, a development Geopolitiki reported here: Taiwan: Coast Guard drove away 16 Chinese vessels at “multiple points” – research ships in restricted waters, patrols around Pratas.

The original report is on the Taiwan MND website.