Taipei has been complaining for more than a year about repeated missions by China's air force near the island. China sees democratic Taiwan as a breakaway province, but Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign state. Taiwan's defence ministry said Sunday's mission by the Chinese air force involved four H-6 bombers which can carry nuclear weapons as well as an anti-submarine aircraft.
The ministry released a map showing a flight path northeast of the Pratas, closer to the Chinese coast than the Taiwanese coast. Missile systems were deployed and combat aircraft was dispatched to warn away the Chinese planes, the ministry added. China has not yet officially commented.
