Taiwan’s defense ministry announced on Saturday that it saw 41 Chinese military planes near the island within a single day. This happened a day after China warned that people who strongly support Taiwan’s independence might face the death penalty.
China considers Taiwan to be part of its own territory. It has stated that it could use force to take control of Taiwan if needed.
Recently, China has been putting more pressure on Taiwan. Last month, after Lai Ching-te became the new leader of Taiwan, China conducted military exercises around the island.
On Saturday, Taipei’s defence ministry said it had detected 41 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels operating around Taiwan during the 24-hour period leading up to 6:00 am (2200 GMT).
“32 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait,” the ministry said in a statement, referring to a line bisecting the 180-kilometre (110-mile) waterway that separates Taiwan from China.
The ministry added that it had “monitored the situation and responded accordingly”.