Taipei [Taiwan], January 28 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday said that it detected four sorties by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and five People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels operating around its territory up to 6 am (UTC+8).

It added that one balloon was also detected during the timeframe.

In a post on X, the MND said, '4 sorties of PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 1 balloon was detected during this timeframe. We have monitored the situation and responded.'

Earlier on Tuesday, Taiwan's MND said that it detected two PLA aircraft sorties and five PLAN vessels operating around its territory.

'2 PLA aircraft, 5 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. We have monitored the situation and responded,' MND said in its post.

Meanwhile, an incursion by a Chinese military drone near Taiwan-controlled islands has raised renewed concerns over China's expanding pressure campaign in the South China Sea, with Taiwan warning that such actions threaten regional peace and stability.

According to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence, a Chinese surveillance drone entered the southwestern section of Taiwan's air defence identification zone in the early hours of the morning and moved toward the Pratas Islands, also known as Dongsha, as reported by The Taipei Times.

According to The Taipei Times, the ministry said the aircraft approached the islands shortly before dawn and briefly entered territorial airspace at an altitude beyond the effective reach of local air-defence systems.

The garrison stationed on the islands was immediately instructed to raise alert levels and intensify aerial monitoring.

After repeated warnings broadcast through international radio frequencies, the drone withdrew several minutes later. The ministry condemned the manoeuvre as reckless and provocative, stating that it violated international norms and further destabilised the region.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Taiwan is an integral and indivisible part of China, which has been separated from the mainland since 1949.

Under its 'one country, two systems', achieving China's complete reunification is a shared aspiration of all Chinese people, both within the country and abroad. The Communist Party of China and the Chinese government regard the fulfilment of this goal of peaceful reunification as a historic mission and have been working persistently toward it. (ANI)