Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) on Wednesday said it detected 77 Chinese military aircraft and 17 naval vessels operating around the island as of 6 am local time, amid ongoing military drills by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA). In a post on X, the MND said that 35 of the 77 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern, central and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

"77 PLA aircraft, 17 PLAN vessels and 8 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 35 out of 77 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded," the ministry said.