WASHINGTON, 06 October 2021, (TON): US President Joe Biden has said that he has spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping about Taiwan after Beijing sent a record number of military aircraft into the island’s air defence zone (ADIZ).

Asked by a reporter about “China’s provocation over Taiwan”, Biden said that he and Xi had discussed the issue.

Biden said at the White House “I’ve spoken with Xi (Chinese President Xi Jinping) about Taiwan, we agree, we’ll abide by the Taiwan agreement, and we made it clear that I don’t think he should be doing anything other than abiding by the agreement.”

Taiwan said “it tracked a record 56 Chinese aircraft in its ADIZ on Monday, in a series of military manoeuvres that began, China’s National Day, and prompted the island to scramble fighter jets in response. Beijing has stepped up cross-strait activities this year, with the number of recorded incidents on track to be double the level of 2020.”

While the United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with the self-ruled island, which China claims as its own, it is bound by law to protect Taiwan and is its biggest source of military and political support.

Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang warned on Tuesday that China’s actions risked regional peace and stability, while President Tsai Ing-wen warned of the “catastrophic consequences” for the Asia Pacific region if Taiwan were to fall to China.

“If its democracy and way of life are threatened, Taiwan will do whatever it takes to defend itself,” Tsai wrote in an article that was published on Tuesday in the prominent journal, Foreign Affairs.