Taiwan Coast Guard personnel work on a ship off the coast of Nangan Town, in the Matsu Islands on October 15, 2024, a day after China held the “Combined Sword – 2024B” military exercises around Taiwan.
Daniel Singh | AFP | Getty Images
The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said on Sunday that it had spotted 35 Chinese military aircraft, including fighters and bombers, flying to the south of the island on their way to conduct exercises in the Pacific Ocean, for the second day in a row that it announced such activities.
China, which considers democratically-ruled Taiwan its own territory despite strong objections from the government in Taipei, regularly sends its military forces into the skies and waters near the island seeking to enforce its sovereignty claims.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment on the missions, which were reported just days before the US presidential election on Tuesday.
The United States is obligated by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and arms sales to Taipei, including a $2 billion missile system announced last month, are angering Beijing.
The Taiwanese Defense Ministry said that as of 9 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Sunday, it had detected 37 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighters, H-6 nuclear-capable bombers and drones.
The ministry said that 35 of these aircraft headed to southwest, south and southeast Taiwan to the western Pacific Ocean to conduct long-range training, adding that it had sent its special forces for monitoring.
The ministry said on Saturday that China had carried out another “joint combat readiness patrol” with warships and aircraft near Taiwan.
Last month, China conducted major war exercises around Taiwan, which it said were a warning against “separatist acts,” which sparked condemnation from the Taiwanese and American governments.
Beijing strongly hates Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who took office in May, and calls him a “separatist.” He says that only the people of Taiwan can decide their future, and he has repeatedly offered to hold talks with Beijing, but his request was rejected.
