Taiwan reports rise in Chinese military activity as US election nears

Taiwan's defense ministry said on Sunday it had spotted 35 Chinese military aircraft, including fighters and bombers, flying to the island's south on the way to exercises in the Pacific, a second day in a row it has reported such activities.

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory despite the strong objections of the government in Taipei, regularly sends its military in the skies and waters near the island seeking to enforce its sovereignty claims.

China's defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the missions, reported just days before Tuesday's U.S. presidential election.

The United States is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and its arms sales to Taipei, including a $2 billion missile system announced last month, infuriate Beijing.

U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Filoli estate on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Woodside, California, U.S., November 15, 2023.Reuters

War games

Taiwan's defense ministry said that from 9 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Sunday it had detected 37 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighters, nuclear-capable H-6 bombers and drones.

Of those, 35 aircraft flew to Taiwan's southwest, south and southeast into the Western Pacific to carry out long-range training, the ministry said, adding it had sent its own forces to keep watch.

On Saturday, the ministry said China had carried out another "joint combat readiness patrol" with warships and aircraft near Taiwan.

Last month, Taiwan's military staged nighttime live fire drills on the Penghu islands, home to a major air force and navy base and which sit in the Taiwan Strait though are closer to Taiwan than China, practicing repelling an assault from the sea.

Live rounds and flares are fired during a nighttime exercise on Penghu Islands, Taiwan October 24, 2024.Reuters

Talks rebuffed

China last month held large war games around Taiwan it said were a warning to "separatist acts", drawing condemnation from the Taiwanese and U.S. governments.

Beijing strongly dislikes Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, who took office in May, saying he is a "separatist". He says only Taiwan's people can decide their future and has repeatedly offered talks with Beijing but been rebuffed.