Taiwan says 25 Chinese planes, three ships sent towards island

Taipei, March 1

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China sent 25 warplanes and three warships toward Taiwan on Wednesday morning, the island’s Defence Ministry said, as tensions remain high between Beijing and Taipei’s main backer Washington.

The ministry said 19 of those planes crossed into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone while the ships were continuing to operate in the Taiwan Strait. It said Taiwan responded by scrambling fighters, dispatching ships and activating coastal missile defence systems to “closely monitor and respond.”

China stages such incursions on a near-daily basis, part of what are termed “gray zone” tactics, aimed at intimidation and wearing down Taiwan’s equipment, exhausting its personnel and degrading public morale. Those also include cyberwarfare and disinformation campaigns, along with a relentless drive to deprive Taiwan of diplomatic allies. Taiwan has responded by upgrading its fleet of F-16 fighter jets and ordering 66 more of the planes from the US, while purchasing a range of other weaponry — Agencies