Taipei [Taiwan], June 19 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) detected the presence of eight Chinese naval vessels operating around its territorial waters as of 6am (local time) on Friday.
The MND monitored the situation and responded accordingly.
In a post on X, the MND stated, "8 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and responded. No flight path illustration is provided, as we did not detect PLA aircraft operating around Taiwan during this timeframe."
Earlier on Thursday, Taiwan had also detected the presence of eight naval vessels around itself, with the MND issuing a similar statement on X.
Meanwhile, Focus Taiwan reported that earlier in June, Taiwan's first domestically built submarine departed from the Port of Kaohsiung for its latest round of sea trials, which included dive tests. Citing the Military News Agency, Focus Taiwan noted that this trial marked the submarine's 15th sea trial overall and its ninth submerged navigation test.
These developments come amid China's increasing military activity around Taiwan. China's claim over Taiwan is rooted in historical, political, and legal arguments, with Beijing asserting that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. Taiwan, however, maintains a distinct identity and functions independently with its own government, military, and economy. Taiwan's status remains a significant point of international debate, testing principles of sovereignty, self-determination, and non-interference in international law, as per the United Service Institution of India.
China's claim to Taiwan originates from the Qing Dynasty's annexation of the island in 1683 after defeating Ming loyalist Koxinga. (ANI)
