The Ministry of National Defense says a Chinese military helicopter was
detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait median line on Monday.

Officials say the helicopter and a drone were detected between 10:20AM and
7:40PM on Monday.

Chieh Chung, a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security
Research, says he believes it is the first time a Chinese military helicopter
has been detected crossing the median line.

Chieh says Chinese helicopters have frequently been detected operating near
Taiwan since 2022, but on Monday the helicopter not only crossed the median
line but also operated for an extended period in Taiwan's designated no-fly
zone.

Chieh says that represents a new form of "gray-zone" operation.

Defense officials have not said whether the detected helicopter was a
shipborne aircraft or had been dispatched from a nearby Army aviation base
along China's coast.