Taiwan's Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that 45 Chinese military aircraft operated over Taiwan's airspace over a 24-hour period. That's a huge increase in Chinese sorties day-to-day compared to other records for the year. Notably, this burst of activity occurs just before the inauguration of Lai Ching-te as president from the Democratic Progressive Party, scheduled for May 20.
Of the aircraft identified, 26 of them crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered both the northern and southwestern airspace of Taiwan, according to the ministry. During the same period, six Chinese naval vessels were also sighted nearby, the ministry said.
To these developments, Taiwan is keeping a close watch on the situation, deploying combat air patrol aircraft, navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to deal with any threats, the ministry added.
Taiwanese authorities regularly report such Chinese military activities near Taiwan. The previous record for daily sorties by Chinese warplanes this year was 36, reported in March.
The political context of the moves is significant, following Taiwan's recent democratic elections. In January, Lai won the presidency with about 40 percent of the vote, though the DPP lost its parliamentary majority.
Taiwan has been self-governing since 1949, following the Chinese civil war, but China claims sovereignty over the island and considers it part of its territory.
