Taiwan reports large incursion by Chinese air force

Ten Chinese military aircraft including fighter jets entered the southwestern corner ofTaiwan's air defence identification zone on Monday, the island's defence ministry said, in a further escalation of tension across the sensitiveTaiwanStrait.

The island's defence ministry said the air force deployed missiles to "monitor" the incursion into the southwestern part of its air defence identification zone. It also said its planes warned the Chinese aircraft, including by radio.

It marked the largest incursion to date by the Chinese air force sinceTaiwan's defence ministry began disclosing almost daily Chinese military flights over the waters between the southern part ofTaiwanand theTaiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea last year.

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Some of the Chinese aircraft flew in the airspace to the south ofTaiwanand passed through the Bashi Channel which separates the island from the Philippines,Taiwan's defence ministry said in a statement.

China, which claimsTaiwanas its own territory, has stepped up military activities near the democratic island in recent months, a moveTaiwansays jeopardizes regional stability.

The presence of so many Chinese combat aircraft on Friday's mission -Taiwansaid it was made up of four nuclear-capable H-6K bombers and 10 J-16 fighter jets, among others - was unusual and came as the island's air force suspended all training missions after two fighter jet crashes this week.

Earlier on Friday,Taiwanand the United States signed their first agreement under the administration of new president Joe Biden, establishing a Coast Guard Working Group to coordinate policy, after China's passing of a law that allows its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels.

While the United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties withTaiwan, it is bound by law to helpTaiwandefend itself and is the island's main arms supplier.