125 Chinese aircraft detected near Taiwan as Beijing ramps up pressure

China launched fresh, record-breaking military exercises on Monday, Oct. 14, around Taiwan in retribution for what it labeled "separatist acts by Taiwan independence forces." The drills came just days after a speech by Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te who made calls for leaders across the nation's islands to resist "annexation" from Beijing.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected 125 Chinese military aircraft, the most it has ever counted in a single day. Taiwanese forces say warplanes, helicopters and drones crossed its air defense identification zone.

The Chinese military exercises also involved warships, which simulated cutting off key Taiwanese ports.

Taiwanese military officials responded to the Chinese show of strength, saying, "threatening other countries with force violates the basic spirit of the United Nations charter to resolve disputes through peaceful means," adding that the Taiwanese military will deal "with the threat from China appropriately."

The Biden administration has vowed to defend the island nation in the face of Chinese threats, and the U.S. State Department warned China on Monday "to act with restraint to avoid any further actions that might undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and broader region."

China frequently holds what it calls "punishment drills" aimed at pressuring Taiwan. China has claimed the island as its own for decades and has promised to "reunite" it with Beijing.

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