Taipei: According to a statement from the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense, as of 6 a.m. (local time), Taiwan has identified 59 Chinese aircraft, 23 Chinese navy vessels, and eight government ships operating in the area.

Thirty-one flights of the 59 aircraft penetrated Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) after crossing the median line.

“Up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today, 59 PLA aircraft, 23 PLAN vessels, and 8 official ships were detected operating around Taiwan,” the MND said in a statement on X. Thirty-one sorties reached the northern, central, southwestern, and eastern ADIZs of Taiwan after crossing the median line. We have kept an eye on things and taken action.

According to CNN, the Chinese military conducted a second day of drills surrounding Taiwan on Wednesday, conducting blockade operations near vital maritime channels to the east and west of the island and performing live-fire attacks in the East China Sea. A “Rapid Response Exercise” was initiated in response, according to the Taiwanese MND.

The MND said in a post on X that “The PLA cannot defend the intrinsically offensive character of such maneuvers, regardless of how they try to hide them under hyperbolic terms. The “Rapid Response Exercise” has been initiated by the ROC Armed Forces. We’ll continue to protect our national security and be on high alert.”

The MND said earlier on Wednesday that it had found four government ships, 15 Chinese boats, and 76 Chinese aircraft active in the area.

Up to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today, 76 PLA planes, 15 PLAN ships, and 4 government ships were seen moving near Taiwan. The northern, central, southwestern, and eastern ADIZs of Taiwan were penetrated by 37 sorties that breached the median line. In a post on X, MND said, “We have kept an eye on the situation and responded.”

According to observers, China’s military exercises near Taiwan have become more frequent and intricate in recent years. CNN reports that these maneuvers are strategic cover and crucial preparation for a possible future invasion of the self-governing island.

Senior Colonel Shi Yi, the spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command, said in a statement that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) organized exercises in the middle and southern regions of the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday under the codename “Strait Thunder-2025A” with the goal of evaluating the troops’ capacity for “joint blockade and control” and “precision strikes on key targets,” according to CNN.