A ship suspected of being a Chinese military vessel was spotted near Penghu as the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said it detected 30 sorties of Chinese military aircraft and eight ships operating around Taiwan in the past 24 hours up to 6am today.
Fishermen in Penghu yesterday reported seeing a Chinese warship moving westward away from the island, confirming reports that China continues to harass the waters surrounding Taiwan and Penghu’s strategic importance.
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At 4pm, the eyewitnesses said, they were fishing near the median line of the Taiwan Strait when they saw the ship appear, which they said was not being tracked by Coast Guard Administration (CGA) or naval vessels.
The ship is suspected to be the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN) Wenzhou (溫州) No. 526, a Type 054 frigate, which can attack targets, such as submarines, on its own or as part of a larger group and has long-range radar capabilities.
It was launched in Nov. 2003, commissioned in Sep. 2005 and now serves in the East China Sea.
Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Chiu Chun-jung (邱俊榮) later confirmed that the navy has been monitoring the situation and is prepared for any potential incidents.
The ship cruised along the median line but did not enter Penghu’s waters, the military said, adding that the CGA’s Lienchiang (連江) and the navy’s Ma Kung (馬公) are monitoring the area and remain on standby.
Meanwhile, 23 of the 30 Chinese sorties crossed the median line, entering Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) from the north, southwest and east, while three of them were helicopters intruding into Taiwan’s northern ADIZ, in addition to eight vessels operating in the Taiwan Strait, the ministry said.
This is the second day in a row that more than 30 incursions were detected around Taiwan.
The armed forces would continue to use ships, aircraft and shore-based defense systems to monitor and defend the country from incursions, the ministry said.
MND spokesperson Major General Sun Li-fang (孫立方) said there is no need to elaborate on who the “troublemaker” is.
The ministry said China’s military activities around Taiwan have become more frequent as it has returned to routine training and preparation after the Lunar New Year.
Regional peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait concerns not only Taiwan but all free and democratic countries, and is also an issue concerning global security and economic development, Sun said.
Nations that are friendly to Taiwan should have freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, he said.
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