Taiwan said Wednesday it detected 62 Chinese military aircraft near the self-ruled island this week, as two US ships sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait.
The United States and its allies regularly transit the 180-kilometer (112-mile) Taiwan Strait to reinforce its status as an international waterway, angering Beijing.
Beijing has never ruled Taiwan, but it claims the democratic island as part of its territory and has threatened to bring it under its control by force.
Taipei said the US ships travelled from north to south “starting from February 10.”
China’s People’s Liberation Army said Wednesday it had monitored the passage of the US warship and ocean survey vessel.
“This US action sent the wrong signal and increased security risks,” Li Xi, a senior colonel and spokesman for China’s Eastern Theatre Command, said in a statement.
Data published by the Taiwan defense ministry show 62 Chinese military aircraft were detected near the island in the 48 hours to 6:00 am local time on Wednesday, coinciding with the US ships’ transit.
“We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly,” the ministry said in a statement.
Taiwan is a potential flashpoint for a war between China and the United States, which is the island’s most important backer and biggest arms supplier.
In recent years, Beijing has ramped up political and military pressure on Taipei to accept its sovereignty claims, and staged multiple rounds of large-scale war games since President Lai Ching-te took office in May.
A record 153 aircraft were reported on October 15 after China staged large-scale military drills in response to Lai’s National Day speech days earlier.
