HONG KONG, June 4. /TASS/. Taiwan's Armed Forces have recorded the approach of more than 20 aircraft of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) this morning, the island's defense ministry has reported.

According to the statement, starting at 8:20 a.m. local time (12:20 a.m. GMT), 23 PLA aircraft, including J-16 fighter jets, Y-8 aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles were recorded approaching the island. Of these, 16 aircraft crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait and entered the air defense identification zone in the northern, central and southwestern parts of the island.

In addition, between 6:00 a.m. (10:00 p.m. GMT) on Monday and 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, the Taiwanese Armed Forces recorded 19 aircraft and nine PLA ships, as well as four Chinese maritime police ships approaching the island. At least 17 aircraft crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait, entered the air defense identification zone in the northern and southwestern parts of the island.

Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when the remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled there after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. Official Beijing considers Taiwan a province of the People’s Republic of China.