TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China announced on Christmas Day that it had conducted "strike drills" around Taiwan and the Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked the presence of 71 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels around the country.

The Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced on Sunday (Dec. 25) it had organized "joint combat readiness patrols and joint firepower strike drills of all armed forces in the sea and airspace around Taiwan." It claimed that the drills were conducted as a "resolute response to the current U.S.-Taiwan escalation and provocation."

It then concluded by stating that theater forces would take "all necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity." The post included three photos, including that of a bomber taking off, a warship maneuvering toward the "target area," and an "aerial view of the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan."

Warship allegedly moving toward "target area" around Taiwan. (Weibo, Eastern Theater Command photo)

The MND said that as of 6 a.m. on Monday (Dec. 26), 71 PLA military aircraft and seven naval vessels were tracked around Taiwan, a record number for a 24-hour period. Meanwhile, 47 PLA aircraft were monitored crossing the Taiwan Strait median line or in the country's air defense identification zone.

The ministry said it monitored the situation and responded by dispatching combat patrol aircraft and naval vessels and activating air defense missile systems. In a Sunday evening press release, the MND emphasized that the "military intimidation of the PLA is clearly aimed at psychologically intimidating the public," and that it responded by using joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance methods to attain a full picture of developments in the area and dispatched forces to respond in a "timely and appropriate manner."

Photo purportedly shows Taiwan's Central Mountain Range by Chinese military aircraft. (Weibo, Eastern Theater Command photo)

China's sudden escalation comes shortly after President Joe Biden's signature of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which calls for US$2 billion (NT$61.4 billion) in loan assistance for Taiwan to purchase U.S. weapons and defense equipment on Friday (Dec. 23). The act also authorizes the creation of a stockpile of US$100 million worth of munitions, calls for the expedition of arms purchase requests, and urges the Pentagon to include Taiwan in the 2024 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) joint exercises.

(MND image)