TAIPEI - On Saturday, the Taiwanese defense ministry reported that eight Chinese military aircraft violated the median line of the Taiwan Strait and came close to the island's contiguous zone, which is located 24 nautical miles (44 km) from its coastline.

This incident marks an escalation in tensions between the two nations.China's air force has been repeatedly breaching Taiwan's airspace and crossing the once-unofficial median line since August, escalating tensions.

According to Taiwan's defense minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, in March of this year, there was a warning that Taiwan needed to remain vigilant against a potential "sudden entry" by the Chinese military into areas near its territory. Taiwan's government firmly rejects Beijing's claims of sovereignty over the democratically governed island and asserts that only the Taiwanese people have the right to determine their own future.

In the recent incident, Taiwan's defense ministry reported that 19 Chinese warplanes, including J-10 and J-16 fighters, were detected on Saturday starting at around 8 a.m. Among them, eight planes crossed the median line and approached close to the 24 nautical mile mark, which defines Taiwan's contiguous zone. It is important to note that the Chinese aircraft did not enter Taiwan's territorial airspace, which is defined as 12 nautical miles from its coast, according to the Taiwanese government's statement.

The Taiwan Strait, a significant waterway that separates Taiwan from China, is not only a zone of tension between China and Taiwan but also witnesses regular U.S. military activities. U.S. warships frequently navigate through the sensitive strait, making such transits approximately once a month.

Recently, the U.S. Navy shared a video depicting what it referred to as an "unsafe interaction" in the strait. The footage displayed a Chinese warship crossing in front of a U.S. destroyer, highlighting the potential risks and tensions present in the area.