Watch: Taiwan Air Force scrambles jets amid China threats after leader’s US trip

The Taiwan Air Force scrambled jets amid military threats from China on Monday, 10 April, after president Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with the speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy in California last week.

The meeting was seen as a show of democratic solidarity in defiance of threats from China.

China, which sees self-ruled Taiwan as its own, began military exercises on Saturday, a day after Tsai returned from the trip.

On Sunday, China’s simulated precision strikes against Taiwan.

There was no sign of panic or disruption from the Chinese drills near Taiwan, with life continuing in Taiwan as normal.

It comes after then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei last August, which prompted China to stage war games around Taiwan including firing missiles into waters close to the island.

Similar drills have not been announced this time.

As of 8am on Sunday, 70 Chinese aircraft, including Su-30 fighters and H-6 bombers, as well as 11 ships, were spotted around Taiwan, Taiwan’s defence ministry said.

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