Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said that 38 Chinese fighter jets and a TB-001 Scorpion drone flew near the island nation on Friday, with 19 of the aircraft crossing the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait and flying around the island. This is a move not seen since the recent military exercise in which China simulated an air and sea blockade. The Defense Ministry said there were also six Chinese naval vessels near the island on Thursday. Beijing also issued a protest when a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft flew through the Taiwan Strait saying, “the U.S. is a disruptor of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and a creator of security risks.” A statement from the U.S. 7th Fleet said the flight was within international law and “demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
