Chinese warplanes cross Strait's median line 2nd time in less than a week; Taiwan's air force swings into action

A fleet of Chinese warplanes was spotted near the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait on Sunday. According to the Reuters news agency, Taiwan's air force swung into action, sent up its own fighters, and deployed ships and land-based missile systems to keep watch on Chinese activities.

This is for the second time, in less than a week, such Chinese activities were reported by Taiwan's defence ministry. Earlier on 8 June, 37 Chinese military aircraft flew into the island's air defence zone, some of which then flew into the western Pacific.

China, which considers Taiwan as its own territory, has over the past three years regularly flown its air force into the skies near the island, though not into Taiwan's territorial air space, Reuters agency said.

According to Taiwan's defence ministry, at around 11:30 AM (IST) it detected 24 Chinese air force planes, including J-10, J-11, J-16, and Su-30 fighters, as well as H-6 bombers. They added that 10 had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait which separates the two sides and had previously served as an unofficial barrier between the two regions.

Sharing further details about Chinese defence activities, Taiwan's ministry said four Chinese naval ships were also engaged in "joint combat readiness patrols".

Taiwan has activated its defence systems now.

In April, China held war games around Taiwan following a trip to the United States by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.

China completed a second phase of joint air patrols with Russia over the Western Pacific on 7 June, following flights on the previous day over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea, prompting concern in Japan over its national security.

Japan's defence ministry also scrambled a jet fighter last week in response to a Chinese information-gathering aircraft Y-9 flying over the Pacific Ocean and east of Taiwan.

Japan also lodged a protest against China for its naval and coast guard vessels entering Japan's territorial waters along the country's southwest archipelago on 8 June.