In what appears to be another show of strength, China sent around 103 warplanes towards Taiwan in a 24-hour period, reported The Associated Press citing the island nation’s defence ministry on Monday. It said that the number of warplanes was a daily record in recent times. China has always claimed Taiwan as its own territory and has always carried out various similar military exercises.
The Taiwan ministry detected the planes at around 6 am on Sunday and at the same time on Monday. AP reported that the planes turned back before they reached the island nation.
Several such military drills have been conducted by China in recent times which has also seen an increasing trend, reported the AP. Notably, the US has backed Taiwan’s sovereignty on many occasions leading to a further tense relationship with China.
According to AP, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry also claimed that 40 of the planes crossed the symbolic halfway point between mainland China and the island. It added that nine naval vessels were also part of the drill in the previous 24 hours.
Reacting to the development, Taiwan called it “harassment” and warned that it could escalate in the current tense atmosphere. "We urge the Beijing authorities to bear responsibility and immediately stop such kind of destructive military activities," it said in a statement.
The report mentioned that China had sent a small set of fleets last week including the aircraft carrier Shandong into waters near Taiwan.
It is imperative to note that the exercise comes after the US and Canada sailed warships through the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from the mainland.
Taiwan works in a self-governing manner. Several countries including the US have formal ties with China while maintaining a representative office in Taiwan. It split from China in 1949 when the communists took control of the mainland during a civil war. AP stated that the losing Nationalists fled to Taiwan and set up their own government on the island.