Taiwan President Lai Ching-te will complete his visit and return to Taiwan on the 6th. The Taiwan Ministry of National Defense reported on the same day that 31 Chinese military aircraft and vessels had been detected continuously operating around the Taiwan Strait within a 24-hour period.
The Taiwan Ministry of National Defense reported that from 6 AM on the 5th to 6 AM on the 6th, 16 Chinese military aircraft, 13 warships, and two public service vessels were detected operating continuously around the Taiwan Strait, with seven aircraft crossing the median line of the strait into the northern, southwestern, and eastern airspace.
The Ministry of National Defense stated that the Taiwanese military is closely monitoring and responding with mission aircraft, ships, and land-based missile systems.
Lai Ching-te began his trip on November 30th to visit three South Pacific ally countries, with a transit stop in Hawaii for two nights; after visiting the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, he will transit through Guam for one night, then visit Palau before returning to Taiwan on the evening of the 6th.
Beijing has issued strong condemnation multiple times against Lai Ching-te's transit through Hawaii and Guam, calling on the United States to stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces.
Chinese Mainland Military Exercise May Occur Soon
On the 6th, Taiwanese media cited reports from national security sources that over the past week, mainland China's activities near Taiwan have been intensive. Based on various intelligence, it is likely that the mainland's military will initiate military activities around the Taiwan Strait on the 6th or 7th, named 'Joint Sword-2024C' encirclement military exercise.