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Taipei, Aug. 10 (CNA) Mainland Chinese jet fighters twice crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait in late July, but with no apparent hostile intent, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) revealed on Tuesday.

The MND spokesman's office said the first incident occurred on July 25 when two indigenous Jian-8 fighters crossed the dividing line and penetrated five kilometers into Republic of China airspace, while the second took place on July 30 when two Jian-7s penetrated about 10 kilometers into local territory.

Shortly after the planes crossed the line, the spokesman's office noted, they corrected their routes and returned to the west side of the center line.

Over the past few weeks, mainland China has been waging a war of nerves against Taiwan to protest President Lee Teng-hui's redefinition of cross-Taiwan Strait relations as a "special state-to-state relationship."

The MND also said that no unusual movements of People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops along the coastal provinces of mainland China have been noticed, and that there are no signs that a large-scale PLA military maneuver is to be held.

But a ranking MND officer confirmed that advanced Su-27 jet fighters stationed in Guangdong Province have begun training activities in areas close to the center line of the Taiwan Strait.

According to the MND, no significant increase in PLA power has been seen in the Fujian area, with the exception of the deployment of eight Jian-8s at Fuzhou airbase.

At present, the MND said, about 150 mainland Chinese aircraft are stationed in Fujian's coastal areas, with Jian-7s and Jian-8s increasing their patrol flights from Fuzhou and Longxi airbases.

The MND urged mainland China to exercise self-restraint in its jet fighter training, pointing out that about 340 international flights and 730 domestic flights fly over the Taiwan Strait every day.

In response to the increased mainland air activity, the MND said, the basic principles of the ROC armed forces are to avoid provocation and minimize the risk of hostility.

It expressed the hope that the Taiwan people and media will stop speculating on mainland military activities so as to prevent the island's stability and economic development from being harmed.

(By Victor Lai)