The White House stated on Monday that the U.S. is worried about China's military operations near Taiwan, which it referred to as "provocative" and "destabilizing."
The largest documented intrusion by China to date, according to Taiwan's government, involved 71 Chinese air force aircraft in the past 24 hours, including fighter jets and drones.
"We will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability in line with our long-standing commitments and consistent with our one China policy," the White House National Security Council said in a statement.
According to Taiwan's Defense Ministry, 43 of the aircraft breached the Taiwan Strait's median line, an unofficial boundary between the two sides that is within the defense zone, as Beijing maintains military activities near the Chinese-claimed island.
The largest Chinese air force invasion to date, according to Taiwan's official Central News Agency, yet there was little panic on the island, which has seen a steady escalation in Chinese pressure in recent years.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China has been sending ships or planes to the independent island almost every day in recent years. There were 18 J-16 fighter jets, 11 J-1 fighters, 6 Su-30 fighters, and drones among the Chinese aircraft found.
Taiwan claimed that it kept an eye on Chinese movements using both its own military ships and land-based missile systems.
"This is a firm response to the current US-Taiwan escalation and provocation," Shi Yi, the spokesman for the PLA's Eastern Theatre Command, said in a statement on Sunday night.
The PLA announced coordinated combat patrols and joint strike training in the waters surrounding Taiwan. Shi was referring to the U.S. defense spending bill, which includes a reference to China as a strategic issue.
The bill authorizes stronger security cooperation with Taiwan and calls for increased engagement with India on new defense technologies, preparedness, and logistics.
In response to U.S. government efforts in support of Taiwan, China's military has frequently utilized huge military drills as a show of might. In reaction to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in August, it conducted large-scale live-fire military exercises.
Foreign government visits to the island are viewed by Beijing as a de facto endorsement of the island's independence and a challenge to China's claim of sovereignty.
