Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Monday that it had detected more than 100 Chinese warplanes and nine warships around the self-ruled island, describing the number as a “recent high” and urging Beijing to halt what it said were “destructive” actions.
The flights came just hours after China’s top diplomat held a “constructive” meeting with the U.S. national security adviser — talks that saw Beijing warn that Taiwan is “the first red line that must not be crossed” in the two rivals’ relationship.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement that 103 aircraft were detected around the island, including 40 that crossed the so-called median line of the Taiwan Strait, the unofficial barrier that separates the island from China. A map accompanying the statement showed a number of the warplanes had entered its southwest and southeast air defense identification zone (ADIZ), to the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines.