Taipei’s defence ministry said it scrambled aircraft to broadcast warning messages to the latest incursion, which included 12 Chinese fighters. China’s use of such drills has risen to record levels over the past year as a way to pile pressure on self-ruled Taiwan, which it regards as its own territory. Beijing has vowed to one day seize the island, by force if necessary. The latest incursion came as Taiwan mourned its worst train crash in decades, which killed 50 people and prompted a rare message of condolence from the Chinese president, Xi Jinping.
The Taiwanese foreign minister, Joseph Wu, accused Beijing on Wednesday of sending “very mixed signals” by offering sympathy for the train crash while buzzing the island with its fighters. “I would say that the policy is self-defeating,” Wu said.
