Taiwan’s defense ministry reported on Sunday that eight Chinese fighter jets and one Chinese balloon crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the past 24 hours.
China’s military operations in the vicinity of the island of Taiwan have escalated, coinciding with the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for January 13.
Chinese J-10, J-11, and J-16 fighter jets, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, crossed the strait’s median line at locations in the strait’s north and center. Taiwan deployed its forces for monitoring.
Chinese aircraft now frequently traverse the median line, which was once an unofficial barrier separating the two sides.
The ministry also reported another Chinese balloon that crossed the median line late Saturday morning, 97 nautical miles (180 km) northwest of Keelung, northern Taiwan, at 20,000 feet (6,100 meters).
China asserts sovereignty over the island of Taiwan, and for the past four years, Taiwan has consistently expressed its ire over what it considers to be an ongoing military buildup around the island.