Ten Chinese planes have crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, normally an unofficial barrier between the two sides, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday, as Beijing continues its military activities near the island.
Nine Chinese fighter jets and one military drone crossed the median line in the 24 hours to 6 a.m. Saturday (6 p.m. ET), the ministry said in its daily report on Chinese military activities.
Taiwan sent its own planes to warn the Chinese jets, while missile systems monitored them, the ministry said, using standard wording for its response.
Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory despite the island’s objections, has complained in recent years of almost daily Chinese air force missions near the democratically governed island, often in the southwestern part of its zone. air defense identification
Beijing has threatened unspecified retaliation if Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, now traveling across the Americas, meets with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. She is expected to meet him in Los Angeles on her way back to Taipei this month from Central America.
China staged war games around Taiwan in August after then-President Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, and has continued military activities near Taiwan, albeit on a reduced scale.
A senior Taiwan official familiar with the island’s security planning told Reuters this week China is unlikely to repeat such large exercises, but all preparations have been made in case China reacts «irrationally».
Separately, nine Chinese planes crossed the median line on Friday conducting combat readiness patrols, a move that Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said «deliberately created tension» and undermined peace and stability.