Record number of Chinese aircraft buzz Taiwan airspace

China sent a record number of aircraft to patrol near Taiwan’s airspace on Monday amid renewed tensions between the two countries, according to the New York Times.

The Taiwanese defense ministry said on Monday that a number of Chinese fighter jets, patrol and early warnings aircraft, and military drones buzzed through its air defense system in the last 24 hours. 

Taiwanese officials also said a total of 71 Chinese aircraft were spotted around the island over the weekend, resulting in the Taiwanese military conducting its combat air patrol aircraft, navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond to any possible attack, according to CNN. 

Forty-seven out of the 71 Chinese aircraft were flown crossed the Taiwan strait, the median line that separates the two Asian countries, CNN reported. 

China’s latest military initiatives come after President Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act into law last week. 

The $858 billion defense authorization measure includes $10 billion in military aid to Taiwan through 2027 and $800 million in security assistance for Ukraine in its ongoing war conflict against neighboring Russia. 

Tensions erupted between the two countries after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited the sovereign country earlier in August, which marked the first time a high-ranking U.S. official visited the country in 25 years. Pelosi’s trip to the nation angered Chinese officials, who warned the Speaker of moving against their wishes and traveling to the country. 

China has stepped up its military and domestic pressure against Taiwan in recent months.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command Senior Colonel Shi Yi said it conducted joint combat readiness patrols and fire strike drills around Taiwan, saying “this is a firm response to the current US-Taiwan escalation and provocation.” 

“The theater troops will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Shi said in a statement.