The US Department of State said on Sunday it was very concerned by China’s “provocative” military activity near Taiwan, after dozens of Chinese warplanes flew toward the island in the past day.
“The United States is very concerned by the People’s Republic of China’s provocative military activity near Taiwan, which is destabilizing, risks miscalculations, and undermines regional peace and stability,” it said.
Taiwan scrambled patrol planes after 39 Chinese aircraft, many of them fighter jets, made two sorties to the island’s air defense identification zone over Saturday. China sent 38 planes toward Taiwan in a similar fashion on Friday.
The State Department urged Beijing to end “coercion” against Taiwan, which China sees as its breakaway province. It said that Washington had an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and vowed to stand with its ally.
