Taiwan reports year-high number of Chinese jets around its shores

Taiwan's Defence Ministry on Friday said it had registered 36 Chinese warplanes in Taiwan's airspace within 24 hours, the highest number of Chinese daily sorties so far this year.

Thirteen of the detected aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern and south-western air space, the ministry said.

The ministry said it had also detected six Chinese Navy vessels.

Taiwan had tasked Combat air patrol aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond to these activities, the ministry said.

Taiwan regularly reports such actions by Chinese forces. Before Friday, this year's record number of Chinese aircraft daily sorties, 33, was detected shortly after Taiwan held its democratic presidential and legislative elections in January.

On Thursday, the ministry reported that it detected 32 Chinese military aircraft in Taiwan's airspace within 24 hours.

Taiwan has had an independent government since 1949, but China considers the self-ruled democracy part of its territory.