Taiwan detects record 153 Chinese military aircraft around island

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan detected a record 153 Chinese military aircraft around the self-ruled island, official data showed Tuesday, after China held a day of large-scale military drills.

The aircraft were spotted in the 25 hours to 6:00 am on Tuesday, the defence ministry said in a statement, marking the highest-ever number for a single day.

Beijing deployed fighter jets, drones, warships and coast guard boats to encircle Taiwan on Monday, with Taiwan responding by dispatching "appropriate forces" and placing its outlying islands on "heightened alert".

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and insisted Monday it will never renounce the use of force to bring the island under its control.

Taiwan's defence ministry also recorded 14 Chinese navy ships in the 25-hour period, which was slightly slower than the 17 warships it announced Monday afternoon.

Of the aircraft spotted, 111 crossed the median line of the sensitive Taiwan Strait that separates mainland China and Taiwan, the figures showed.