Taiwan monitors second large Chinese patrol near island

Taiwan has mobilized its military forces for the second time in a week to monitor a large-scale Chinese military patrol near the island, amid heightened regional tensions. The Taiwanese defense ministry reported detecting Chinese aircraft and warships conducting what Beijing terms a "joint combat readiness patrol" in the vicinity of Taiwan.

According to Taiwanese authorities, the patrol involved 21 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighter jets and drones, operating around the island alongside warships. In a separate statement, officials reported 29 aircraft and seven warships, noting that 24 of the aerial sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial buffer zone that China does not recognize. Taiwan responded by deploying its own ships and fighter jets to monitor the activity. A senior defense official stated the combat patrol had concluded, but monitoring of Chinese movements, including the aircraft carrier Liaoning in the Western Pacific, continues.

A senior Taiwanese security official described China's actions as unprovoked and accused Beijing of being the sole source of instability in the Indo-Pacific region. China, which claims Taiwan as part...