PLA sends planes and ships near Taiwan as speech by William Lai continues to cause ripples
Taiwan’s defence ministry reported on Friday morning that in the 24 hours to 6am, the PLA sent at least 20 aircraft and 10 vessels to patrol the island’s northern, western and southwestern sides.
It said 13 of the aircraft crossed the median line – the unofficial midway boundary separating the self-ruled island from mainland China – in the Taiwan Strait or entered the island’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the southwest and southeast.
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Taiwan leader William Lai says Beijing has no authority over island in Double Tenth speech
Friday’s number was higher than the previous three-month average of 16 aircraft and six vessels, according to the South China Morning Post’s tally based on Taiwan’s reports.
Friday’s manoeuvring by the PLA came a day after Lai’s Double Tenth speech, when he doubled down on his narrative that Taiwan is not subordinate to the mainland.
October 10 marks the start of the 1911 revolution that ended the Qing dynasty, followed by the founding of the Republic of China in 1912. The date is celebrated in Taiwan after Kuomintang lost the civil war and fled to the island in 1949.
During Thursday’s speech, Lai also said Beijing “has no authority” to represent Taiwan, which drew criticism from Beijing. Its ministry of foreign affairs accused Lai of “deliberately seeking to sever the historical connection”.