The Latest Breaking News from the Taiwan Strait

As China sends warships and fighter jets to the Taiwan Strait after a U.S. visit by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, deemed a separatist by Beijing, fishing crews plying the narrow waterway say they fret more about their livelihood than politics.

A Chinese warship in seas facing the Taiwan Strait began live-fire drills on Saturday as Beijing began military exercises it calls a warning against what it considers pro-Taiwan independence forces. The amphibious landing ship - capable of transporting troops, craft and vehicles - fired multiple rounds of artillery on Saturday…

A Chinese warship in seas facing the Taiwan Strait began live-fire drills on Saturday as Beijing launched military exercises it calls a warning against what it considers pro-independence forces in Taiwan.

China hit back over Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s visits to the United States by announcing live-fire military drills in the Taiwan Strait and leveling largely symbolic sanctions on the venue that hosted her in California.

Taiwan officials and defence analysts are bracing for intensifying pressure on the "median line" that has for decades helped keep the peace in the Taiwan Strait as China begins inspecting civilian shipping across the waterway.

Taiwan is keeping watch on a Chinese aircraft carrier but does not expect a large escalation in tensions, the government said on Thursday, after China denounced a meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

China's Fujian maritime safety administration launched a three-day special joint patrol and inspection operation in the central and northern parts of the Taiwan Strait that includes moves to board ships, it said on its WeChat account.

Ten Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, normally an unofficial barrier between the two sides, Taiwan's defence ministry said on Saturday, as Beijing continues its military activities near the island.

Nine Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line on Friday carrying out combat readiness patrols, Taiwan's defence ministry said, days after Beijing threatened retaliation if President Tsai Ing-wen meets U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are ethnically Chinese and share the same ancestor, former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said on Tuesday at the start of a historic visit to China that Taiwan's ruling party has criticised.

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said on Saturday she had expressed concerns over the South China Sea and tensions in the Taiwan Strait during talks with her Chinese counterpart at the end of a visit to Beijing.