TAIPEI: Taiwan told China on Monday to stop its "destructive unilateral actions" after more than 100 Chinese warplanes and nine navy ships were detected in areas around the self-ruling democratic island. China's Foreign Ministry did not comment on the sorties, though its spokesman Mao Ning reaffirmed Beijing's position that Taiwan belongs to China. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels were spotted around the island between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning. China staged its largest-ever war games around Taiwan in August 2022, after then-US speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei despite warnings, infuriating Beijing. In a comment on the Weibo social media platform, China's state-run tabloid Global Times said Taiwan was a "sacred and inalienable part of China."

Source: Manila Times September 18, 2023 16:53 UTC