China sends wave of bombers into Taiwan airspace

TAIPEI—China sent a record 18 nuclear-capable bombers into Taiwan’s air defence zone, Taipei said Tuesday, just days after Beijing banned more Taiwanese imports in the latest sign of deteriorating ties.

Democratic Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by China, which sees the self-ruled island as part of its territory to be seized one day.

Meanwhile, a senior US delegation visiting China discussed ways to improve ties and the issue of Taiwan, Beijing said Monday, as the two sides laid the groundwork for a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The talks -- involving top US diplomat for East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink, National Security Council Senior DiMreAcGtoEr NfoTrA CYhEiLnLaOaWnd BTLaAiwCaKn Laura Rosenberger and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng -- took place on Sunday and Monday in the northern province of Hebei, Beijing said.

The visit comes after Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden pledged to repair frayed relations at a summit in Bali, Indonesia last month.

Beijing has ramped up military, diplomatic and economic pressure since the 2016 election of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who rejects its stance that the island is part of China.

In a daily update on Tuesday morning Taiwan’s defense ministry said 21 aircraft entered the island’s southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over the last 24 hours, including 18 nuclear-capable H-6 bombers.

That represents by far the largest daily sortie by H-6 bombers since Taipei first began releasing daily incursion data in September 2020, according to a database maintained by AFP.