Taiwan reports renewed Chinese military activity near territory

The day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended his visit to China, Taiwan reported that Chinese aircraft crossed sensitive border lines in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan reported renewed Chinese military activity near the island on Saturday morning. Twelve fighter planes are said to have crossed the sensitive center line of the Taiwan Strait, a 180-kilometer-long strait between northern Taiwan and mainland China.

The report comes a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended a visit to China. The United States is Taiwan’s main international backer and arms supplier, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties.

Blinken said he had emphasized to China the “critical importance” of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Democratically governed Taiwan, a crucial key in the global chip industry, has faced increasing military pressure from China, which views the island as its own territory.

The center line in the Taiwan Strait once served as an unofficial border between the two sides that neither military could cross, but China’s air force now regularly sends planes over it. China says it does not recognize the existence of the line.

Taiwan’s newly elected President Lai Ching-te will take office on May 20 after winning elections in January. Beijing views him as a dangerous separatist and has rejected his repeated calls for talks.