Taipei

Taiwan has tracked 21 warplanes and five naval ships from China around the country with eight jets that crossed the Taiwan Strait median line.

Of the 17 People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) warplanes, eight crossed the median line over the Taiwan Strait, the military said. The planes were four Xi'an JH-7 fighter-bombers, two Sukhoi Su-30 fighters, and two Shenyang J-11 jets.

The JH-7 and the Su-30 jets crossed the median line at its northern end, while the two J-11 fighters did so at the southern end.

According to the Taiwanese government, it has tasked Combat Air Patrols (CAP), Navy ships, and air defence missile systems to monitor and respond to the Chinese activities.

China has increased its antics in Taiwan Strait post US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-governed island.

Tensions were further inflamed on Sunday when another US congressional delegation travelled to Taiwan and amid a social media post by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) that showed footage of the Penghu islands suggesting that its jets were on Taiwan's doorstep.

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Amid the heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait, the United States is planning to take steps in the coming weeks and months to counter China's military and economic activity around Taiwan.