TAIPEI, 24 January, 2021, (TON): Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Saturday that eight Chinese bomber planes and four fighter jets entered the southwestern corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, Taiwan’s air force deployed missiles to “monitor” the incursion.

Taiwan’s air force warned away the Chinese aircraft, the defence ministry said.

In a statement issued by the Ministry said “Airborne alert sorties had been tasked, radio warnings issued, and air defence missile systems deployed to monitor the activity.”

The presence of so many Chinese combat aircraft on this mission - Taiwan said it was made up of eight nuclear-capable H-6K bombers and four J-16 fighter jets - was unusual.

A map provided by Taiwan’s defense ministry showed that the Chinese aircraft, including a Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft, flew over the same waters where the most recent Chinese missions have been taking place near the Pratas Islands, though still well away from mainland Taiwan.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department urged China to stop pressuring Taiwan and reaffirmed its commitment to the island and desire to deepen ties.

The US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement, “We will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defence capability.”

There were no immediate comments from China. However, China in past says that it has been carrying out exercises to defend its sovereignty and security.

In recent months China conducted almost daily flights over the waters between the southern part of Taiwan and the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea.

China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be part of the country again but Taiwan's leaders say it is clearly much more than a province, arguing that it is a sovereign state. The dispute with China has left relations frayed with a constant threat of a violent flare up.