New Delhi, India

Taiwan condemned China for "bullying" after Beijing sent a total of 24 warplanes into its air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Thursday (September 23) and also opposed Taiwan's bid to join a pan-Pacific trade pact. 

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Taiwan applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) but admitted that there's a potential political roadblock as China has also applied. China's Foreign Ministry said it opposed Taiwan "entering into any official treaty or organisation".

On Wednesday, Taiwan had formally applied to join CPTPP, and a day after that, China sent two dozen warplanes, including bombers, fighter jets, anti-submarine planes and airborne early warning and control planes in two groups. 

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Taiwan's defence ministry had said the country's air force was scrambled to warn off the Chinese planes, which was the third-largest incursion in the past two years. The incident has further escalated the heightened tensions between Beijing and Taiwan. 

In a statement late on Thursday, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said China had "no right to speak" about Taiwan's bid. 

"The Chinese government only wants to bully Taiwan in the international community, and is the arch criminal in increased hostility across the Taiwan Strait," it said.

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China is not a member of the CPTPP, which consists of Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. 

The original 12-member agreement, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), was seen as an important economic counterweight to China's growing influence.

But the TPP was thrown into limbo in early 2017 when then-US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States.