Taipei [Taiwan], June 26 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence reported today that 33 Chinese aircraft and five vessels were detected in the vicinity of Taiwan in the 24 hours leading up to 6 a.m., following Beijing's criticism of President William Lai's comment referring to Taiwan as a country, as reported by the Taipei Times.

Out of the total aircraft, 24 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, entering Taiwan's northern, southwestern, and eastern air defence identification zones, according to the ministry's statement. Around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Taiwanese fishermen reportedly spotted two Chinese vessels approximately 50 nautical miles (92.6 km) off the coast of Hualien.

Furthermore, 21 aircraft, including Su-30 fighters and Shaanxi KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, were observed operating near Taiwan between 9:40 a.m. and noon today, the ministry noted, mentioning that 16 of these aircraft crossed the median line into Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern, and eastern air defense identification zones.

The ministry accused China of 'harassing' the airspace and waters surrounding Taiwan under the pretext of 'joint combat readiness patrols.' The armed forces stated that they 'monitored the situation and deployed [patrol] aircraft, navy vessels, and coastal missile systems' in response to the detected activities.

Since Sunday, Lai has delivered two speeches as part of a planned series of ten focusing on 'uniting the country.' In his initial speech, Lai asserted that Taiwan is 'of course a country' and stated that China lacks any legal or historical right to claim it, as cited by the Taipei Times.

Lai was simply articulating historical truths, and the Mainland Affairs Council remarked in a statement that Beijing's claim that Taiwan has always been Chinese is 'merely a fabricated lie with no foundation.' They urged the Chinese Communist authorities to acknowledge the existence of the Republic of China [Taiwan] and the reality of the situation in the Taiwan Strait, emphasising that 'the two sides are not subordinate to each other,' as reported by Taipei Times.

The defence ministry indicated that the last military exercises conducted by China around the island occurred in April, and noted that Chinese air and naval forces operate near Taiwan daily, frequently deploying numerous warplanes. (ANI)