Taipei: The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense (MND) recently tracked the presence of 32 Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around Taiwan between  6 am on Thursday (May 11) and 6 am on Friday (May 12), an episode which has a potential to further escalate tension.

Of the 32 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 13 were tracked in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), including one CH-4 combat reconnaissance drone which crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and circled Taiwan clockwise from the northeast sector of the ADIZ to the southwest corner, according to the MND, reports Taiwan News.

One BZK-005 reconnaissance drone and one TB-001 combat reconnaissance drone also crossed the median line in the southwest corner of the ADIZ and flew along the southern portion of the identification zone. Meanwhile, six Chengdu J-10 fighter jets and two Sukhoi Su-30 jet fighters also crossed the median line.

One Shenyang J-16 fighter jet and one Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare plane were also monitored in the southwest sector of the ADIZ.

In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, naval ships, and used land-based missiles to monitor the PLA aircraft and vessels, Taiwan News reported.