China says military flights are a response to U.S.-Taiwan ‘collusion’

China has said the rising number of warplanes it sends toward Taiwan is due to the island’s "military collusion” with the U.S., shedding light on its motives for the threatening activity.

The People’s Liberation Army "drills are a solemn warning against Taipei’s increased provocation, which damaged peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said Wednesday at a briefing in Beijing.

"Democratic Progressive Party authorities have recently intensified military collusion with the US,” he added, referring to the ruling party of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen. When asked what exactly "collusion” entailed, Ma said the "facts are clear,” adding that "all people living on Earth know it.”