Taiwan told China on Monday to stop its “destructive unilateral actions” after more than 100 Chinese warplanes and nine navy ships were detected in areas around the self-ruled island.

In the 24 hours between the morning of September 17 and 18, the defense ministry said it had detected a total of 103 Chinese planes, and it described the number as a “recent high”.

Its map of Chinese activities over the past 24 hours showed 40 fighter jets crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which had served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides until China began regularly crossing it in 2022.

In addition to the air force incursion near Taiwan over the weekend, China last week also dispatched more than 100 naval ships for exercises in the region, including in the strategic waters in the South China Sea and off Taiwan's northeastern coast, a regional security official told Reuters.