China Flies 20 Warplanes Across Taiwan Strait, Heightening Tensions

News Snapshot:

China flew 28 warplanes around Taiwan on Sunday, with most crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait for unspecified “long range" missions, Taipei authorities said. Taiwan’s defence ministry said 20 of the aircraft detected since Sunday morning crossed the median line of the waterway separating Taiwan and mainland China, and entered the self-ruled island’s southeast and southwest air defence identification zone. China was conducting “missions such as long range exercises and training", the defence ministry said in a statement, adding that it was monitoring the situation with patrol aircraft and ships. Beijing claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory...