11 Chinese aircraft crossed Taiwan Strait median line, says Taiwan

Eleven Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line on Friday morning, an unofficial barrier between the two sides, according to Taiwan’s defence ministry, as China increases military pressure on the democratic island. The defence ministry said that a total of 24 Chinese warplanes including fighter jets and bombers were spotted near Taiwan on Friday morning from around 8 a.m. Five Chinese battleships also joined a “joint war readiness patrol, it said. Taiwan sent aircraft and ships to warn away the Chinese activities, while missile systems monitored them, the ministry said, using standard wording for its response. A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters the Chinese activities on Friday were likely a reaction to the visit to Taipei made by a U.S. congressional delegation led by the chair of House Armed Services Committee Mike Rogers. China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, in April staged drills around the island in anger at President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Taiwan’s government strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims and vows to defend itself if China attacks the island. The U.S. State Department on Thursday approved the potential sale of ammunition and logistics supply support to Taiwan in two separate deals valued at up to $440 million. With inputs from Reuters Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .