Taiwan has recorded nearly 40 Chinese aircraft approaching the island.

The Taiwanese military spotted 37 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft approaching the island for half a day on Thursday, the Taiwan Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

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“Starting at 5:00 am today, June 8, 37 PLA aircraft, including J-11 and J-16 fighter jets, an H-6 bomber, a Y-20 tanker, and radio detection and targeting aircraft, successfully entered Taiwan’s southwestern airspace. “, the agency said in a statement.

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It is reported that several aircraft entered the western Pacific through southeastern Taiwan airspace “to conduct long-range aerial reconnaissance training.”

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A few hours earlier, Taiwan’s defense department reported 12 PLA aircraft and four ships that the island’s armed forces detected near Taiwan from 6 a.m. Wednesday to 5 a.m. Thursday.

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The situation around Taiwan escalated significantly after a visit to the island in early August last year by then-Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. China, which considers the island one of its provinces, condemned Pelosi’s visit, seeing in this move US support for Taiwanese separatism, and held large-scale military exercises.