Taipei, June 26 -- 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 K...