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Taiwan registers 71 PRC aircraft, 7 ships approaching the island in 24 hours

The Taiwanese military engaged ships and dispatched an air patrol for monitoring, and deployed missile air defense systems

TASS, December 26. The Taiwanese Defense Ministry registered 7 People’s Liberation Army ships and 71 aircraft in the past 24 hours, with 47 aircraft approaching the island, the Ministry said in a daily summary published Monday.

"By 06:00 [local time] today, a total of 71 aircraft and 7 PLA ships were registered around Taiwan," the statement says.

A total of 47 PLA planes crossed the so-called median line in the Taiwan Strait and entered the Taiwanese air defense identification zone.

The Taiwanese military engaged ships and dispatched an air patrol for monitoring, and deployed missile air defense systems.

The PLA has been carrying such maneuvers regularly recently. Tensions in the Taiwan Strait area escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island, which was met with harsh criticism from Chinese authorities.

China’s largest island of Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, but Beijing considers it an inseparable part of the country and call on foreign states to adhere to the "one China" policy.

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