China sends 71 warplanes and 7 ships toward Taiwan in 24 hours - NBC News

TAIPEI, Taiwan — China’s subject sent 71 planes and 7 ships toward Taiwan successful a 24-hour show of unit directed astatine the island, Taiwan’s defence ministry said Monday, aft China expressed choler astatine Taiwan-related provisions successful a U.S. yearly defence spending bill passed connected Saturday.

China’s military harassment of self-ruled Taiwan, which it claims is its ain territory, has intensified successful caller years, and the Communist Party’s People’s Liberation Army has sent planes oregon ships toward the land connected a near-daily basis.

Between 6 a.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday, 47 of the Chinese planes crossed the median of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial bound erstwhile tacitly accepted by some sides, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense.

Among the planes China sent toward Taiwan were 18 J-16 combatant jets, 11 J-1 fighters, 6 Su-30 fighters and drones.

Taiwan said it monitored the Chinese moves done its land-based rocket systems, arsenic good arsenic connected its ain navy vessels.

“This is simply a steadfast effect to the existent U.S.-Taiwan escalation and provocation,” Shi Yi, the spokesperson for the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command, said successful a connection connected Sunday night. It announced that the PLA was holding associated combat patrols and associated onslaught drills successful the waters astir Taiwan.

Shi was referring to the U.S. defence spending bill, which calls China a strategical challenge. With respect to the Indo-Pacific region, the authorities authorizes accrued information practice with Taiwan and requires expanded practice with India connected emerging defence technologies, readiness and logistics.

China’s subject has often utilized ample subject exercises arsenic a objection of unit successful effect to U.S. authorities actions successful enactment of Taiwan. It conducted large live-fire subject exercises successful August successful effect to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s sojourn to Taiwan. Beijing views visits from overseas governments to the land arsenic de facto designation of the land arsenic autarkic and a situation to China’s assertion of sovereignty.