China flew 56 fighter planes toward Taiwan on Monday in the largest show of force on record, continuing the three days of sustained military harassment against the self-ruled island.
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The first sortie of 52 planes included 34 J-16 fighter jets and 12 H-6 bombers, among other aircraft, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense. Later, four more Chinese J-16s flew toward the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defense identification zone – a buffer outside a country's airspace.
The Taiwanese Air Force scrambled its fighter planes and monitored the movement of the Chinese warplanes on its air defense system, the ministry said.
Taiwan and China split during a civil war in 1949, and Beijing opposes Taiwan's involvement in international organizations. China claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary. It refuses to recognize the island's government and has increasingly sought to isolate the independence-leaning administration of President Tsai Ing-wen.
"We are very concerned that China is going to launch a war against Taiwan at some point, even though the threat may not be imminent at this point," Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corp. broadcast on Monday.
