China stages big military incursion, Taiwan says

China is staging 1 of its biggest incursions truthful acold successful the seas and skies astir Taiwan, according to information from the island's defence ministry.

It said that 71 Chinese aerial unit planes, including combatant jets and drones, had entered Taiwan's alleged aerial defence recognition zone.

Taiwan is self-ruled - but China sees it arsenic a breakaway state with which it volition yet reunite.

Tensions betwixt the 2 sides person steadily accrued successful caller months.

In August, Beijing was enraged by a sojourn to the land by US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, the astir elder US person to sojourn Taiwan successful 25 years.

China responded to that sojourn by holding what was past its biggest-ever subject exercises successful the seas astir Taiwan, and besides blocked immoderate commercialized with the island.

Taiwan's overseas curate Joseph Wu condemned China's enactment past arsenic highly provocative. China has ne'er said it would not usage unit to bring Taiwan nether its control.

On Monday, Taiwan's defence ministry said 43 Chinese craft had crossed implicit the alleged median line, an unofficial buffer separating the 2 sides wrong the aerial defence zone.

China said it had conducted "strike drills" astir Taiwan connected Sunday successful effect to what it said was provocation from the land and the US.

Washington has ever walked a diplomatic tightrope implicit the contented of Taiwan.

On the 1 manus it adheres to the One-China policy, a cornerstone of its narration with Beijing. Under this policy, the US acknowledges that determination is lone 1 Chinese government, and has ceremonial ties with Beijing alternatively than Taiwan.

But it besides maintains adjacent relations with Taiwan and sells arms to it nether the Taiwan Relations Act, which states that the US indispensable supply the land with the means to support itself.