World News
Taiwan says 103 Chinese warplanes flew toward the island
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- China’s military sent 103 warplanes toward Taiwan in a 24-hour period in what the island’s defense ministry said Monday was a daily record in recent times.
The planes were detected between 6 a.m. on Sunday and 6 a.m. on Monday, the ministry said. As is customary, they turned back before reaching Taiwan.
China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has conducted increasingly large Military drills in the air and waters around Taiwan as tensions have grown between the two and with the United States. The U.S. is Taiwan’s main supplier of arms and opposes any attempt to change Taiwan’s status by force.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said that 40 of the planes crossed the symbolic halfway point between mainland China and the island. It also reported nine naval vessels in the previous 24 hours.
The ministry called the Chinese Military action “harassment” that it warned could escalate in the current tense atmosphere. “We urge the Beijing authorities to bear responsibility and immediately stop such kind of destructive Military activities,” it said in a statement.''
China last week sent a flotilla of ships including the aircraft carrier Shandong into waters near Taiwan. The drills came shortly after the U.S. and Canada sailed warships through the Taiwan Strait, the waters that separate the island from the mainland.
China also unveiled a plan for an integrated development demonstration zone with Taiwan in China's nearby Fujian province, trying to entice Taiwan while also warning it in what experts say is China's long-running carrot and stick approach.
The recent actions may be an attempt to sway Taiwan's presidential election in January. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which leans toward formal independence for the island, is anathema to the Chinese government. China favors opposition candidates who advocate working with the mainland.
Taiwan and China split in 1949 when the communists took control of China during a civil war. The losing Nationalists fled to Taiwan and set up their own government on the island.
The island is self-governing, though only a few foreign nations give it official diplomatic recognition. The U.S. among others has formal ties with China while maintaining a representative office in Taiwan.
___
Find more of AP's Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
-
World News3h ago
Head of Vietnam’s Parliament Resigns Amid Corruption Probe
-
World News3h ago
A Japanese Town, Frustrated by Overtourism, Is Blocking Its Instagram-Famous View of Mt. Fuji
-
World News10h ago
At TIME100 Gala, Honorees Toast to the People and Causes That Matter to Them
-
World News10h ago
TIME100 Honoree Motaz Azaiza Speaks on the Gaza Solidarity Encampments Taking Over U.S. Colleges
-
World News17h ago
Philippines Says ‘Foreign Actor’ Behind Deepfake of Marcos Urging Combat With China
-
World News17h ago
See the Stars of the 2024 TIME100 Gala in Scenes From the Gala
-
World News23h ago
Ariel Henry Resigns as Prime Minister of Haiti, Paving the Way for a New Government to Take Power
-
World News23h ago
2 Military Horses That Broke Free and Ran Loose Across London Are in Serious Condition