China sends warplanes and navy ships towards Taiwan in show of force

China sent navy ships and a large group of warplanes, including fighter jets and bombers, towards Taiwan over two days, the island’s defence ministry said on Wednesday

The show of force came ahead of Taiwan’s annual military exercises aimed at defending itself against a possible invasion.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) sent 38 warplanes and nine navy vessels around Taiwan between 6am on Tuesday and 6am on Wednesday.

From Wednesday morning until noon it flew a further 30 planes, including J-10 and J-16 fighters.

Of these, 32 crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial boundary that has been considered a buffer between the island and mainland.

Later on Wednesday, another 23 planes crossed the midline.

Taiwan is scheduled to hold its annual Han Guang exercise later this month, in which its military holds combat readiness drills for warding off an invasion.

It will also carry out the annual Wan’an exercises aimed at preparing civilians for natural disasters and practising evacuations in case of an air raid.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory and in recent years has shown its displeasure at political activities in Taiwan by stepping up the number of military planes sent towards the island.

In the past year, it has also started sending its navy vessels, as well as drones to circle the surrounding waters.

In Tuesday and Wednesday’s manoeuvres, the PLA flew H-6 bombers in a large loop to the south of Taiwan, travelling past the island before looping back towards China’s southern coast.

Its largest military drills in recent years were in response to former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last August.

It fired missiles over the island in a significant escalation and the military exercises disrupted trade lanes in the Taiwan Strait and forced aircraft to reroute their flights.

In April, the PLA held large-scale combat readiness drills in the air and waters around Taiwan in response to the island’s President Tsai Ing-wen meeting current US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.