Taiwan accused China on Friday of raising tensions in the region with a "provocative" military patrol near the island, Reuters reports.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said that since mid-afternoon on Friday, 21 Chinese warplanes, including J-16 fighter jets, had been spotted conducting joint patrols with warships. The statement said the actions "harassed the airspace and seas around us" and constituted "highly provocative" actions that violate other countries' maritime rights and undermine regional stability.
Taiwan regularly reports Chinese military patrols, but it does not usually use such strong language in its statements. China's Ministry of Defense did not immediately comment on the incident.
The patrol came a day after a phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump, in which Xi urged the United States to approach the Taiwan issue with "prudence" to avoid provoking conflict between China and the United States.
China views Taiwan as part of its territory and regularly holds military exercises near the island. Taiwan rejects the claims and insists that only its people have the right to decide their own future. Taiwan's President, Lai Ching-te, has stressed that his country is determined to increase defense spending and strengthen its military.
On Sunday, Lai will attend exercises in Kaohsiung that will include Taiwan's coast guard, whose ships would be used in the event of war with China.