Taiwan Detects Chinese Aircraft and Warships Near Island

m. local time Tuesday. Twenty-four of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone in multiple sectors. Taiwan responded by deploying combat air patrol aircraft, navy ships, and coastal missile systems, according to a ministry press release.

The ministry published images of the patrol showing two Chinese fighter jets flying in formation with a larger aircraft and a Chinese warship.

Activity Taiwan's National Security Council

Secretary-General Joseph Wu stated on social media that this marked the second such patrol in a week, shortly after a Beijing summit. Wu also reported spotting the Liaoning aircraft carrier group in the western Pacific. The Chinese activity follows a U.S. decision to postpone an arms sale to Taiwan due to supply constraints tied to Operation Epic Fury.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said during a Senate subcommittee hearing that the pause would continue until sufficient munitions were secured. A senior administration official told the Daily Caller News Foundation that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured President Trump that China would not invade Taiwan during their May 14 meeting.

The official said the assurance covered the remainder of the president's term. The Liaoning carrier conducted a live-fire drill in the western Pacific on May 19, according to the South China Morning Post. The vessel was originally purchased from Ukraine after the Soviet collapse and later refitted.