Taiwan's air force scrambled for a second straight day on Saturday after a dozen Chinese fighter aircraft and bombers carried out drills close to Taiwan-controlled islands in the disputed South China Sea, the Defense Ministry in Taipei said.
Beijing, which claims Taiwan as Chinese territory, has carried out repeated air missions in the southwestern corner of Taiwan's air defense identification zone in recent months, mostly near the Pratas Islands.
After nine Chinese air force aircraft flew near the Pratas Islands on Friday, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said it tracked 11 aircraft on Saturday — eight fighter jets, two nuclear-capable H-6 bombers and an anti-submarine aircraft, also near the islands.