Taiwan on Friday condemned Beijing’s “provocative” actions after China conducted a patrol around the island, a day after a call between US and Chinese leaders.
Taipei’s defense ministry said it detected 21 Chinese military aircraft, including fighters and drones, of which 15 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait in a “combat readiness patrol.”
“The relevant actions are highly provocative… bring instability and threats to the region, and are a blatant violation of the regional status quo,” the ministry said in a statement.
Beijing claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has not renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.
It has ramped up military pressure on Taipei in recent years and dispatched warplanes and naval vessels around the island on