Taiwan says 37 Chinese warplanes, drones and other military aircraft have been detected near its airspace. China carried out the operation as part of a long-range training flight, Taipei said on Sunday (Nov 3).
According to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense, the Chinese aircraft were monitored from 9 a.m. local time. Of these, 35 crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait, entered Taiwan's airspace and headed toward the western Pacific Ocean.
Taiwan said it has deployed its own aircraft, naval and land-based missile systems in response to China's actions.
A day earlier, Taiwan reported that China had carried out a military joint war preparation patrol. It included warplanes and warships. According to the Ministry of Defense, they observed 27 Chinese warplanes and 6 warships in the last 24 hours till 6 am on Saturday.
China considers Taiwan its territory and has not ruled out the possibility of using force if necessary to bring the island under its control. Beijing last month carried out large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, which were strongly condemned by Taipei and its ally the United States.
Earlier in September, China conducted long-range training flights and launched an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean, raising tensions in the region.
