With Top US Official Visting Taiwan, China Sends Fighter Jets Along The Border

Reuters: China sends fighter jets as U.S. health chief visits Taiwan

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Chinese air force jets briefly crossed the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait on Monday and were tracked by Taiwanese missiles, Taiwan’s government said, as U.S. health chief Alex Azar visited the island to offer President Donald Trump’s support.

Azar arrived in Taiwan on Sunday, the highest-level U.S. official to visit in four decades.

China, which claims the island as its own, condemned the visit which comes after a period of sharply deteriorating relations between China and the United States.

China, which had promised unspecified retaliation to the trip, flew J-11 and J-10 fighter aircraft briefly onto Taiwan’s side of the sensitive and narrow strait that separates it from its giant neighbour, at around 9 am (0100 GMT), shortly before Azar met Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s air force said.

The aircraft were tracked by land-based Taiwanese anti-aircraft missiles and were “driven out” by patrolling Taiwanese aircraft, the air force said in a statement released by the defence ministry.

China’s defence ministry did not immediately comment.

Read more ....

Update #1: Fighter jets cross a line in Taiwan Strait, says Taipei as it hosts US health official amid rising US-China tension (SCMP).
Update #2: Chinese fighter jets cross Taiwan Strait median line amid US official visit (Taiwan News)

WNU Editor: This is Beijing's way of sending a message to Washington (again).

from War News Updates https://ift.tt/2CdpuqK