Taiwan flags massive PLA naval mobilisation, spike in air sorties

AI Summary

Taiwan reported a major increase in Chinese military maritime and air activity around the island and across the western Pacific. More than 100 PLA and coastguard vessels were observed, including the Liaoning strike group conducting drills in the Philippine Sea, while Taiwan recorded 49 PLA aircraft sorties in a 24-hour period.

Taiwan expressed concern on Tuesday over more than 100 People’s Liberation Army naval vessels and mainland Chinese coastguard ships sailing across the western Pacific, including the Liaoning strike group conducting drills in the Philippine Sea. The maritime deployment overlapped with a sharp spike in PLA aerial activity near the island. Taiwan’s defence ministry reported 49 sorties of PLA aircraft in the 24 hours to 6am on Tuesday, marking the highest single-day total this year. The number...