Taipei’s defence ministry reported over 20 Chinese warplanes around Taiwan, with 11 breaching the sensitive median line—a notable display of force since the recent presidential election.
The ministry, providing daily updates on Chinese military activities, disclosed that, in the 24 hours until 6 am (2200 GMT), 24 warplanes and 5 ships were detected.
“11 of the detected aircraft had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered Taiwan’s southwest and north (air defence identification zone),” the ministry said in a statement.
Democratic Taiwan has its own government, military and currency — but China claims it as its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control.
Saturday’s election was won by the Democratic Progressive Party’s Lai Ching-te, who China regards as a “separatist”. Beijing warned ahead of voting day that his win would bring “war and decline” to Taiwan.
China — which maintains a near-daily military presence around Taiwan — did not send an outsized number of warplanes and naval vessels in the election’s immediate after man.
But it drew first blood in the political sphere, with Pacific nation Nauru abruptly announcing Monday it would switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China, leaving Taipei with just 12 countries or states that still do.
The largest number of warplanes China has sent during a 24-hour window came in September, when Taiwan detected 103 Chinese aircraft around the island. Forty of them crossed the median line.
The constant stream of Chinese warplanes and naval vessels around Taiwan represents a “grey zone” tactic that stops short of an outright act of war, conflict experts say.