Taiwan monitors 66 Chinese military aircraft in its vicinity and a Japanese destroyer near it

- Taiwan's Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that it had spotted 66 Chinese military aircraft around the island over the past 24 hours, a record for this year.

The ministry said in a statement that 56 of these Chinese military aircraft crossed the 180-kilometer - wide median line separating the Taiwan Strait into two parts between the island and mainland China.

This is the largest number of Chinese military aircraft spotted by Taiwanese authorities around the island in one day since the beginning of the year.

The last record in this area dates back to May, when Taiwan detected 62 military aircraft and 27 warships near its waters and airspace.

China claims Taiwan and considers it an integral part of its territory, assuring that it will not hesitate to use force to regain it.

Beijing has recently stepped up pressure on Taipei in recent years, holding military exercises around the island in May after the inauguration of Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing considers a "dangerous separatist".

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