Taipei [Taiwan], January 21 (ANI): 31 Chinese military aircraft and four vessels were detected near Taiwan, the latest incursion amid ongoing tensions between the two nations, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence said in a tweet on Friday. It further said that 12 of the detected aircraft had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwest air defence identification zone (ADIZ).

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence tweeted, "31 PLA aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities."In another tweet, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence further said, "12 of the detected aircraft (J-116, J-163, J-102 and BZK-007 UAV RECCE) had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwest ADIZ, flight paths as illustrated."On January 19, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence in a tweet stated, "16 PLA aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities."The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence further said, "4 of the detected aircraft (JH-7, BZK-007 UAV RECCE and J-162) had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwest ADIZ, flight paths as illustrated."On Monday, Chinese military planes and vessels were detected around Taiwan in what was the seventh such incident in the past week, New York Post reported. Last week, China warned that leaders from foreign nations who interact with the self-governing island are "playing with fire," as per the news report.

A spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office said Beijing was committed in the new year to "safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity" and "smashing plots for Taiwan independence" on the self-governing democracy, as per the New York Post report.

Addressing a news conference, Ma Xiaoguang called the support for Taiwan's independence in a few foreign countries a "deliberate provocation," as per the news report.

"The malicious support for Taiwan independence among anti-China elements in a few foreign countries are a deliberate provocation," New York Post reported Ma Xiaoguang as saying at a biweekly news conference. (ANI)