Taiwan scrambles fighters to intercept Chinese warplanes

The Taiwan military has scrambled fighters to intercept 39 Chinese warplanes over the island's air defence zone - the biggest incursion since last October.

The Chinese flights yesterday included 34 fighters plus four electronic warfare aircraft and a single bomber, the Taiwan ministry said.

Taiwan deployed combat aircraft to warn away the Chinese aircraft, Reuters reports.

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Missile systems were also activated to monitor them, the defence ministry said.

Taiwan, which China claims as part of the mainland, has reported for more than a year of repeated flights by China's air force near the democratically governed island.

Taiwan believes the flights are designed to test Taiwan's forces and also wear them down by putting aircraft and defence systems on high alert.

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It is unclear what triggered yesterday's mission by China.

Beijing often times them to coincide with visits of senior foreign dignitaries to Taiwan, or to coincide with certain key dates.

Taiwan and mainland China have been separately governed since the Nationalists retreated to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese civil war more than 70 years ago.

Taiwan is now a flourishing democracy but the mainland's ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to view the island as an inseparable part of its territory - despite having never controlled it.