China Sends Warplanes Near Taiwan After US Lawmakers' Visit
China sent the most warplanes toward Taiwan since October, a move that follows US lawmakers visiting a top military figure and both the UK and Japan sailing warships through the strait separating the island from the Chinese mainland.
Some 46 People's Liberation Army aircraft crossed the median line in the strait in the 24 hours to Friday morning, the defense ministry in Taipei said in a statement. The ministry added that it monitored and 'responded accordingly' to the moves, without providing more details.
The flights into sensitive areas around Taiwan comes after a group of US lawmakers held a rare publicly-disclosed meeting with Defense Minister Wellington Koo on Tuesday in Taipei. Beijing vehemently opposes nations it has official ties with — such as the US — from having official contact with Taiwan.
China views Taiwan as territory that must be brought under its control, by force if necessary, a stance Taipei rejects. The US is the biggest military supporter for the democracy of 23 million people.
The Chinese military activity comes with the US deciding whether to attack Iran. On Thursday, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te told his national security team to have a full grasp of the geopolitical situation. Officials in Taipei have long worried that the PLA may act more aggressively toward Taiwan if the US is distracted by crises in other parts of the world.
Separately, Japan sailed a destroyer through the 180 kilometer wide strait last week, Kyodo News reported. That was the third known passage by a Japanese naval vessel, all of which have come over the past year, it said.
Earlier this month, Japan said it observed two Chinese aircraft carriers and supporting warships operating simultaneously near remote Japanese islands in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, underscoring Beijing's advancing naval capabilities.
Also on Friday, the PLA said in a statement that the UK sent a naval vessel through the strait.
Beijing condemned the UK transit on Wednesday as a 'provocation,' saying it undermines peace and stability in area. The Chinese military said its forces would remain on high alert and 'resolutely counter all threats.'
The voyage by the UK warship comes as London sends an aircraft carrier and other vessels into the Indo-Pacific, where they'll make port visits in Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.
With assistance from Cindy Wang.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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