China-Taiwan Conflict: Chinese Military Flew 36 Fighter Jets And Bombers Near Taiwan, Says Defence Ministry

Ten of the planes crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from the mainland, on Saturday, according to the ministry.

Representational Image. ( Image Source :Getty Images )

China's military flew 36 fighter planes and bombers close to Taiwan as part of a protracted campaign of intimidation against the self-governing island democracy that Beijing claims is a part of its territory, according to the Taiwanese defense ministry, news agency Associated Press (AP) reported.

Ten of the planes crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from the mainland, on Saturday, according to the ministry. They reportedly featured four J-16 and six J-11 Shenyang aircraft.

China's military flew 36 fighter jets and bombers near Taiwan, the Taiwanese defense ministry announced, part of a long-running campaign of intimidation against the self-ruled island democracy that Beijing claims as part of its territory. https://t.co/eoRbhHTh7u

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 13, 2022

After a civil war that left the Communist Party in charge of the mainland, Taiwan and China divided in 1949. Beijing claims that although the island has never been a part of the PRC, it must still reunite with the mainland, even if it means using force.

This year, the Chinese government's intimidation campaign against Taiwan accelerated under President Xi Jinping.

It has launched missiles into the ocean and dispatched bombers and fighter jets to fly close to the island.

The Ministry of Defense reported on its website on Saturday that Taiwan's military had also sighted four Chengdu J-10 fighters, a Y-8 antisubmarine warfare aircraft, and three H-6 bombers southwest of the island. It stated that three Chinese drones had also been found.

(With Inputs From AP)