Taiwan Says Its Missiles Tracked Chinese Jets

Chinese fighter jets briefly crossed the median line of the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Monday morning before being "driven out" by Taiwan's air force, the island's defence ministry said.

The Chinese fighters were also tracked by Taiwan's land-based anti-aircraft missiles, the ministry said, citing the air force.

The incident took place on the first full day of a high profile visit to Taiwan by US Health Secretary Alex Azar, which Beijing has condemned.

While Taiwan's military is well-trained and well-equipped with mostly US-made hardware, the mainland has a huge numerical advantage and is adding advanced equipment of its own, including stealthy fighters, anti-satellite missiles and aircraft carriers.

Taiwan submitted a request to buy four sophisticated aerial drones early this year, one of the people familiar with the talks said.

The United States last week sent Taiwan the pricing and availability data for the deal, a key step that denotes official approval to advance the sale. It is, however, non-binding and could be reversed. (Reuters)