During the week, China deployed warplanes and warships in the area in large exercises near Taiwan, where they also used live ammunition. The mobilization is a response to US top politician Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which China considers its own territory.
On Friday morning, Chinese ships and aircraft crossed the so-called median line in the Taiwan Strait, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said. The median line is normally equidistant between the coasts of two states and marks a limit for how far their territorial sea may extend, unless otherwise agreed.
The median line in the Taiwan Strait has for decades functioned as an unofficial buffer zone between China and Taiwan, writes the AP news agency.
China has previously recalled the US ambassador in protest against Pelosi’s visit. The Speaker of the US House of Representatives left Taiwan on Wednesday and has since visited South Korea and Japan.