China flies record 52 planes toward self-ruled Taiwan

By HUIZHONG WU
Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has flown 52 fighter planes toward Taiwan in the largest show of force on record, continuing the three days of sustained military harassment against the self-ruled island. The sortie included 34 J-16 fighter jets and 12 H-6 bombers, among other aircraft, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense. Taiwanese air force scrambled the jets and monitored the movement of the planes on its air defense system. Starting last Friday, on China’s National Day, the People’s Liberation Army sent 38 warplanes into the area and 39 aircraft on Saturday, previously the most in a single day since Taiwan began releasing reports on the flights in September 2020.