TAIPEI, Reuters – Taiwan’s air force rushed on Friday to alert 18 Chinese planes who entered its air defense zone. This is part of a pattern that angers the Taiwan government.

Taiwan has been repeatedly attacked by Chinese planes for claiming its territory. This is something that China claimed to have done over the past couple of years.

Taiwan’s alert level is at its highest due to concerns that China might use Russia’s invasion in Ukraine to launch a similar military attack on Taiwan. However, Taipei hasn’t reported any indications Beijing may be about to strike.

This was a far greater number than the 39 Chinese planes that were involved in the previous large-scale incursion on January 23rd. Since then, these fly-bys with far fewer aircraft have occurred.

Ministry officials said that the most recent mission involved six Chinese J-11, six J-16 fighters, and two H-6 bombers.

China’s Defence Ministry didn’t immediately comment. China described prior missions to protect its sovereignty and counter “collusion with foreign forces” – an apparent reference to U.S. support of Taiwan.

A Y-8 antisubmarine plane was also accompanied on the flight. The aircraft flew through the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan and the Philippines.

According to a ministry map, the other aircraft flew above an area just northeast of Taiwan’s Pratas Islands located at the top of the South China Sea.

Taiwanese fighters went up to China to warn them, and the air defence missiles of Taiwan were deployed to monitor the activities. The ministry used standard terminology to describe Taiwan’s response.

There have been no shots fired. The Chinese planes were not flying in Taiwan’s Air Space, they are in Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone. This is a larger area Taiwan patrols to ensure it has more time to react to threats.

Japan reported this week that eight Chinese naval vessels including one aircraft carrier passed between the islands of Japan’s southern Okinawa chains, in the northeastern part of Taiwan.

China has not abandoned the use of force to control Taiwan, so the Taiwan Strait continues to be a dangerous military flashpoint.