Taiwan Urges China To Stop Destructive And Unilateral Military Activities

Illustration of the Taiwan Strait. (Wikimedia Commons/BreakdownDiode)

Taiwan's Ministry of Defense on Monday urged China to stop destructive and unilateral measures, after reporting rapid increase in Chinese military activity near their territory, warning it could lead to a sharp increase in tensions.

The ministry said that since Sunday they have seen 103 Chinese military aircraft over the sea, the number referred to as "the highest figure recently".

The map of China's activity over the past 24 hours shows that fighter jets cross the central line of the Taiwan Strait, which served as unofficial barriers between the two sides, to China began routinely crossing it a year ago.

Meanwhile, another plane flew south of Taiwan through the Bashi Strait, which separates the island from the Philippines.

China's activities over the past few days have led to "serious challenges" to security in the strait and regional, the ministry said in a statement.

Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are the shared responsibility of all parties in the region, the ministry continued.

"Continuous military harassment by the Communist military could easily lead to a sharp increase in tensions and worsening regional security," the ministry said. "We call on Beijing authorities to take responsibility and immediately stop the destructive unilateral action," the ministry continued.

China's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this matter.

In addition to the air force's 'attack' near Taiwan over the weekend, China last week also sent more than 100 naval vessels for exercises in the region, including in the strategic waters of the South China Sea and off the northeastern coast of Taiwan, a regional security official said.

The official, who declined to be named, said the activity put pressure on everyone in the region, calling the naval exercise scale the "largest in recent years".

Last week, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense noted, July to September is usually the busiest season for Chinese military exercises along the coast.

It is known, China, which views democratically-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, has in recent years regularly carried out military exercises around the island as an attempt to assert its sovereignty claim and pressure Taipei.