In a threatening move, the Communist Chinese military menaced a key U.S. ally in the Pacific with warplane flights throughout the weekend.
On Monday, the Chinese military sent 52 warplanes over Taiwan’s airspace.
Over the weekend, China also sent 38 warplanes into the area on Friday, 39 aircraft on Saturday, and 16 over on Sunday. The weekend threats were by far the most since Taiwan began releasing reports on the flights in September 2020.
The United States expressed concern about what it called China’s “provocative military action” near the self-governing island that China claims it owns.
The provocative flights came in daytime and nighttime sorties, and it wasn’t clear if China was planning more flights.
A statement from U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price warned that China’s military activity near Taiwan risks miscalculation and undermines regional peace and stability.
“We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan,” the statement said.
It added that the United States, Taiwan’s biggest supplier of arms, would continue to help the government maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.
China and Taiwan split in 1949 during a civil war in which the Communists took control of mainland China and the rival Nationalists set up a government on Taiwan, an island of 24 million people about 100 miles off the east coast.
China has been sending military planes into the area south of Taiwan on a frequent basis for more than a year. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said 12 fighter jets and four other military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone on Sunday.
The Associated Press contributed to this article