ANKARA: Taiwan on Sunday claimed that at least eight Chinese fighter jets and a balloon crossed over the median line of the Taiwan Strait over the past 24 hours.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that it had detected Chinese J-10, J-11, and J-16 fighter jets crossing the median line at points to the north and central region of the strait.
It added that Taiwanese forces had been dispatched to monitor the situation.
The ministry said the balloon was spotted in the strait late on Saturday morning 97 nautical miles (112 miles) northwest of the northern Taiwanese port city of Keelung at an altitude of approximately 6,100 meters.
The median line, which Beijing does not recognize, once served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides but Chinese planes now regularly fly over it.
China considers Taiwan its breakaway province, whereas Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.
Source: Anadolu Agency