China flew 28 warplanes round Taiwan on Sunday, with most crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait for unspecified “long range” missions, Taipei authorities stated.

Taiwan’s defence ministry stated 20 of the plane 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 stated in a press release, including that it was monitoring the state of affairs with patrol plane and ships.

Beijing claims democratic Taiwan as its personal territory to be seized at some point, by pressure if needed. It has stepped up army and diplomatic strain on the island lately as relations have soured.

Last week, Taipei reported an elevated variety of incursions by Chinese warplanes and ships, after Beijing stated its troops had been on “high alert” following two ships belonging to the United States and Canada transiting by means of the Taiwan Strait this month.

Taiwan’s defence ministry stated 68 Chinese plane and 10 naval vessels had been detected across the island between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning.

Some of these planes and warships had been heading to an unspecified space of the Western Pacific to “conduct joint sea and air training” with China’s Shandong plane service, the ministry stated.

The Shandong, certainly one of two operational plane carriers within the Chinese fleet, was detected Monday round 60 nautical miles (110 kilometres) southeast of Taiwan heading into the Western Pacific, Taipei authorities stated.

China has not commented formally on any drills being performed within the Western Pacific.

In April, Beijing performed army workout routines to simulate the encirclement of the island, after Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

At the time, Taiwan detected 71 Chinese warplanes in a 24-hour interval, matching the document each day excessive set in December 2022.