Dozens of Chinese warplanes cross Taiwan median line

Beijing says drills also involving navy ships are a firm response' after US defence spending bill prioritised support for Taiwan

• China-Taiwan relations: what's behind the tensions?

Seventy-one Chinese air force aircraft including fighter jets and drones entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone in the past 24 hours, the island's government said on Monday, the largest reported incursion to date.

The incursion included 43 Chinese aircraft that crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line, an unofficial buffer between the two sides that lies within the defence zone, Taiwan's defence ministry said in a report, as Beijing continues military activities close to the island.