US News: Taiwan reports Chinese military activity near island post US visit. US supports Taiwan's stability. Beijing views Lai Ching-te as separatist; future d
Taiwan's defence ministry said it detected 14 Chinese air force planes operating around Taiwan and carrying out "joint combat readiness patrols" with Chinese warships on Wednesday. China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has over the past four years regularly sent warplanes and warships into the skies and waters around the island as it seeks to assert sovereignty claims that the Taipei government rejects. Taiwan's defence ministry said that starting around 1 p.m. (0500 GMT) on Wednesday it had detected 14 Chinese aircraft including J-16 fighters and drones operating off northern and southwestern Taiwan.
Belarusian observers reported that between 8 and 11 January, a Chinese aircraft presumably transporting military supplies touched down in the country. The exact nature of the cargo remains undisclosed, but it is noteworthy that the plane parked in the airport's VIP zone, usually reserved for the exclusive use of self-proclaimed president Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The Y8 transport aircraft, with tail number 5821, skidded off the runway but all crew and passengers survived the accident. The aircraft - believed to have been delivered in 2016-17 - has a poor safety record. Tuesday s crash seems to have resulted in a total loss of the aircraft, with almost no possibility of recovery, said people aware of the matter.
Taiwan said it observed Chinese warplanes and warships around the island on Saturday, including aircraft crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait.