Taiwan notices 28 Chinese aircraft flying near the island.

China reportedly conducted 28 warplane sorties over Taiwan on Sunday, the majority of which crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line for unidentified “long range” operations, according to Taipei authorities.

According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, 20 of the planes discovered since Sunday morning breached the waterway’s median line and entered the self-governing island’s southeast and southwest air defence identification zones.

China was engaged in “missions like long range exercises and training,” the defence ministry stated in a statement, adding that patrol ships and aircraft were being used to keep an eye on the situation.

Beijing asserts that Taiwan’s democratic government belongs to it and will one day be seized, if necessary by force. As ties have deteriorated, it has increased military and diplomatic pressure on the island.

After Beijing declared its soldiers were on “high alert” in response to two ships from the United States and Canada passing through the Taiwan Strait earlier this month, Taipei last week claimed an upsurge in Chinese warplane and ship incursions.

According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning, 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels were spotted in the area of the island.

According to the government, several of these aircraft and warships were en route to an unidentified region of the Western Pacific to “conduct joint sea and air training” with China’s Shandong aircraft carrier.

One of China’s two active aircraft carriers, the Shandong, was spotted Monday around 110 kilometres (60 nautical miles) southeast of Taiwan as it headed towards the Western Pacific, according to Taipei authorities.

China has not made any formal statements regarding any drills taking place in the Western Pacific.

After meeting US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California in April, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen visited Beijing to conduct military drills simulating the island’s encirclement.

In a 24-hour period at the time, Taiwan spotted 71 Chinese aeroplanes, tying the previous daily high established in December 2022.