Chinese jets, warships detected around Taiwan

China concluded its more than a week-long massive military exercises surrounding Taiwan after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the self-ruled island, bucking Beijing’s warnings.

China views Taiwan as a “breakaway province” despite Taipei having governed itself since 1949.
AP

China views Taiwan as a “breakaway province” despite Taipei having governed itself since 1949.

Taiwan has reported detecting 24 Chinese aircraft and 6 warships around the island.

Of the 24 planes, 10 – four Sukhoi Su-30 fighters, four Shenyang J-16 jets and two Chengdu J-10s – “had flown on the east part of the median line of the Taiwan Strait,” the Defence Ministry tweeted on Friday.

Taiwanese forces “monitored the situation and responded to these activities with aircraft … naval vessels, and land-based missile systems,” the ministry added.

China on Wednesday concluded its more than a week-long massive military exercises surrounding Taiwan after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the self-ruled island on August 2, bucking Beijing’s warnings.

Provocative and destabilising

US Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Friday that China overreacted to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and used it as a pretext to try to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

Campbell told reporters in a call that the American response would be patient and effective, and that its presence and posture would "account for China's more provocative and destabilising behaviour." 

READ MORE: Taiwan continues military drills amid tensions with China

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'Breakaway province'

China views Taiwan as a “breakaway province” despite Taipei having governed itself since 1949.

Beijing has vowed to reunify the island, including by force if necessary.

Apart from the show of military might, Beijing has downgraded military dialogue with the US and suspended cooperation on climate change issues, along with six other countermeasures.

READ MORE: China 'will not renounce the use of force' to unify Taiwan with mainland

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