TAIPEI: Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Sunday it had spotted 35 Chinese military aircraft, including fighters and bombers, flying to the island’s south on the way to exercises in the Pacific, a second day in a row it has reported such activities.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory despite the strong objections of the government in Taipei, regularly sends its military in the skies and waters near the island seeking to enforce its sovereignty claims.
The United States is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and its arms sales to Taipei, including a $2 billion missile system announced last month, infuriate Beijing.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said that from 0100 GMT on Sunday it had detected 37 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighters, nuclear-capable H-6 bombers and drones. Of those, 35 aircraft flew to Taiwan’s south into the Western Pacific to carry out long-range training, it said.