16 Chinese Military Aircraft Cross Taiwan Strait Median Line; Taiwan Military Releases Surveillance Footage

Central News Agency, Taipei, May 25. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense stated today that starting at 3:12 PM, 16 Chinese military aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, intruding into the airspace of northern, central, southwestern, and eastern Taiwan. They were coordinating with Chinese naval vessels under the guise of a "joint combat readiness patrol" to harass the air and sea areas around Taiwan. In addition, the military released footage of an F-16 (block20) fighter jet monitoring a Chinese Y-20 aerial refueling tanker, and the Navy's Kunming ship monitoring the Chinese Yinchuan ship. The Ministry of National Defense issued a press release in the evening stating that since 3:12 PM, a total of 21 Chinese aircraft, including J-10, J-16, KJ-500, and drones, were detected heading out to sea. Of these, 16 crossed the median line and its extension, entering the airspace around Taiwan to harass the surrounding air and sea areas. The Ministry of National Defense emphasized that the military used joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance means to strictly grasp the situation and dispatched mission aircraft, ships, and shore-based missile systems to respond appropriately.