Afghanistan, May 26 -- Taiwan said Monday it had detected China's second "joint combat readiness patrol" around the island within a week, prompting Taipei to deploy fighter jets and naval forces to monitor the situation.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said 21 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighter jets and drones, along with several naval vessels, were operating around the island as Beijing increased military pressure.
According to the ministry, Chinese aircraft flew around "all sides of the island," while Taiwan released images showing Taiwanese F-16 fighters tracking Chinese warplanes and naval activity.
Taiwan also reported a separate encounter between its coast guard and a Chinese coast guard vessel near the Pratas Islands in t...