China sent 15 military planes, 11 warships and a balloon around the island, the ministry said. At least 15 additional Chinese warplanes have since been detected, according to the same source.
This is a record since the start of the year because, usually, between four and six Chinese ships are detected in a twenty-four hour window. In December, 11 Chinese ships were spotted around Taiwan in the run-up to the presidential elections, won in January by Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing described as a "separatist"