With senior US lawmaker Nancy Pelosi ending her visit to Taiwan, the island's officials reported 27 Chinese military jets in its air defense zone. China is due to hold live-fire naval drills in the area this week.
The island's ministry of defense said 27 aircraft were detected, 22 of which crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.
In response, Taipei dispatched air patrols and activated missile defense systems to "monitor" Chinese aircraft.
While such incidents are common, the latest sortie comes a day before China's People Liberation Army (PLA) is due to hold massive live-fire naval drills around the island, which Beijing sees as a part of its territory. The maneuvers will see Chinese forces deployed in six different zones all around Taiwan. A senior Taiwanese defense official described it as "amounting to a sea and air blockade."
China's latest moves are part of Beijing's response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting the island this week. Pelosi had ignored China's repeated warnings against the trip. Once there, she pledged that the US would "always stand with Taiwan" in what could be seen as a hint that Washington is ready to support Taiwan militarily in case of a mainland Chinese attack.
