China has dismissed the existence of a median line in the Taiwan Strait after Taiwan's defence ministry reported a record number of Chinese warplanes flying around the self-ruled island. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized that Taiwan is part of China's territory and stated that there is no so-called median line in the Taiwan Strait. This comes as China continues to view Taiwan as part of its territory, despite never having governed it, and the ruling Communist Party of China has vowed to unify the island with the Chinese mainland, even by force if necessary.

In response to Taiwan's report, Taiwan's defence ministry provided a flight map showing that 40 of the 103 Chinese warplanes had crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's self-declared air defence identification zone. The ministry has since deployed combat air patrol aircraft, navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond to these incursions. The increasing number of incursions poses a serious challenge to security in the Taiwan Strait and the wider region, leading to heightened tensions and deteriorating regional security. This latest military action follows China's decision to impose sanctions on two US defence companies for their involvement in arms sales to Taiwan.

The US government has been criticized by China for deliberately supplying weapons to Taiwan, with Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao urging the United States to stop its arms sales, military collusion, and arming of Taiwan. China has reiterated its firm resolve to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling on the US to abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiques or face China's resolute response.