The perfectly named "Chinese People's Liberation Army" flexed its military muscles in Taiwan using 24 military aircraft in two displays of force on Thursday.
They sent 19 planes in the morning and five more planes in the afternoon. That's all.
It probably had to do with Taiwanese leaders announcing their intention to join a Pacific trade group (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), to which China also applied to join. So, yeah that's awkward.
Taiwan deployed air patrol forces and tracked the Chinese jets on their air defense systems in response to China's shenanigans.
This is actually business as usual between Taiwan and China. The Associated Press reports China "has sent fighter jets toward Taiwan on an almost daily basis this past year":
"[China] stepped up its military harassment of [Taiwan] and has sent large displays of fighter jets after political events which it views as interfering with its sovereignty," AP reports.
"Taiwan and China split during a civil war in 1949, but China continues to claim Taiwan as part of its territory. Beijing opposes Taiwan's involvement in international organizations."
"China's military sent 18 planes toward Taiwan last year when a top U.S. diplomat visited the island and met with officials there. In June, it sent 28 warplanes after leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations issued a statement calling for a peaceful resolution of cross-Taiwan Strait issues."
