Taiwan protests China jets crossing centre of Taiwan Strait
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan said Monday its planes warned off Chinese military aircraft that crossed the centre line in the Taiwan Strait, and called China’s move a provocation that seeks to alter the status quo in the waterway dividing the island from mainland China.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said a pair of Chinese J-11 jet fighters crossed the line at around 11 a.m. Sunday and entered the island’s southwestern airspace. It said Taiwan scrambled jets to warn off the Chinese planes, which came within about 185 kilometres (115 miles) of Taiwan.
“Yesterday, Chinese military aircraft provoked us by violating the tacit agreement by crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait. They backed to the west side of the median line after warnings by our Air Force,” Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said in remarks at a military awards ceremony.