Taiwan says Chinese unmanned aerial vehicle crossed median line of Taiwan Strait

Taipe says it spotted Chinese military drone flying north of the island

Taiwan scrambled jets to warn away at least 39 Chinse aircraft, three warships and one unmanned aerial vehicle that entered its air defence zone on Thursday.

At least 30 of the detected aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the island’s south and southeastern air defence zone between 6am Wednesday to 6am Thursday, the defence ministry said.

The incursion included 21 fighters and four H-6 bombers, as well as early warning, antisubmarine and aerial refuelling aircraft.

A military drone also flew to the north of the island, according to the map shared by the ministry. Chinese drones crossed the median line for the first time in September this year. Since then, it has almost been a routine exercise.

China routinely sends warplanes into the self-ruled island’s air defence zone, but incursions often spike in a show of protest against visits by western lawmakers. Beijing considers Taiwan to be a part of its national territory, despite it being split from the mainland and self-ruled since 1949.

On Thursday, several aircraft flew over a waterway known as the Bashi Channel to an area off the island’s southeastern coast. Three Chinese navy ships were also detected near Taiwan, the ministry said.

Taiwan scrambled unspecified combat aircraft to warn away the Chinese planes and monitored the situation through its land-based missile systems as well as on its own navy vessels.

Earlier this month, China sent a record number of 18 nuclear-capable Xian H-6 bombers into the island’s air defence zone in a response to the visit of a key member of Japan’s ruling party.

Meanwhile, the Taiwanese government said the defence ministry’s research and development arm – the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology – is holding a missile firing drill this week on the island’s southeastern coast.