The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China (Taiwan) stated that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) openly violated international norms by arbitrarily designating a military exercise area approximately 40 nautical miles off the coast of Kaohsiung and Pingtung in the open seas, claiming it was for “shooting training.” The Ministry strongly condemned this action and deployed forces to monitor and respond accordingly.
Throughout this year, the CCP has been constantly sending military aircraft and vessels to harass Taiwan, using various grey-zone tactics such as releasing floating balloons and dispatching CCP coast guard ships to intrude into the waters near Kinmen, keeping the Taiwan Strait region in a state of continuous tension.
This afternoon, the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China reported that starting from 8:42 a.m., a total of 32 sorties of various types of CCP aircraft, including J-11 and KJ-500 fighter jets, as well as drones, have been detected operating at sea. Among them, 22 sorties crossed the median line and its extension, entering the airspace in northern and southwestern Taiwan, conducting what they referred to as “joint combat readiness patrols” with CCP vessels.
The Taiwan Ministry of National Defense pointed out that during this period, the CCP flagrantly violated international norms by without warning setting up a designated exercise zone approximately 40 nautical miles off the coast of Kaohsiung and Pingtung in the open seas, claiming they would conduct “shooting training.” In response, the Ministry expressed strong condemnation and immediately deployed air, sea, and land forces to monitor and respond appropriately.
The Taiwan Ministry of Defense emphasized that the CCP’s announcement via ad-hoc radio broadcasts for “shooting training” in specific areas on international routes poses not only a high risk to the safety of international aviation and maritime navigation but also a blatant provocation to regional security and stability. At a time when the world is striving for peace, this move by the CCP goes against its repeated claims of “mutual respect,” “building prosperity,” and “peaceful coexistence” principles.
Furthermore, the Taiwan Ministry of Defense further pointed out that the recent CCP actions conducting shooting exercises off the coast of Vietnam and Australia, as well as military intimidation against the Philippines, serve as evidence that China (CCP) poses the greatest and only threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region. The Taiwan military will continue to strengthen its defense capabilities and closely monitor the surrounding area of the Taiwan Strait to ensure national defense security.
President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, presided over the promotion ceremony for military officers today, February 26, stating in his address that in the face of continuous military threats from the CCP, all senior officials must demand the best of themselves and focus on training for their duties. He expects newly promoted officers to leverage their expertise in their new positions, continually enhance their professional skills, implement various training programs, and work together to build a modernized national defense to safeguard the country’s security.
This morning, the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China released the dynamics of CCP activities in the airspace surrounding the Taiwan Strait from 6 a.m. on the 25th to 6 a.m. today. They identified 11 incidents of CCP aircraft flying near or crossing the median line into the airspace in northern, central, southwestern, and southeastern Taiwan. Additionally, there were 14 CCP vessels and two government ships continuing their activities around the Taiwan Strait, with the Taiwan military closely monitoring and responding using aircraft, ships, and missile systems.
Furthermore, on the 25th, the Taiwan Ministry of Defense reported that from 6 a.m. on the 24th to 6 a.m. on the 25th, there were 12 incidents of CCP aircraft flying near or crossing the median line into the airspace in northern and southwestern Taiwan. In addition, 14 CCP vessels and one government ship were active in the waters around the Taiwan Strait, and the Taiwan military continued to monitor and respond using aircraft, ships, and missile systems.
The Taiwan Ministry of Defense also disclosed CCP balloon activities, detecting two CCP balloons floating in the air. The first balloon was located 65 nautical miles northwest of Keelung at an altitude of 20,000 feet, detected at 6:10 a.m. on the 24th and disappeared at 8:40 a.m. The second balloon was found 70 nautical miles northwest of Keelung at an altitude of 20,000 feet, detected at 11:10 a.m. and disappeared at 12:15 p.m.