Taiwan scrambles air defences in response to Chinese incursions

Taiwanese Mirage 2000 fighter jets taxi along a runway during a drill at an airbase in Hsinchu (AP)

Taiwan has scrambled fighter jets, put its navy on alert and activated missile systems in response to nearby operations of 34 Chinese military aircraft and nine warships.

The Chinese deployment is part of Beijing’s strategy to unsettle and intimidate the self-governing island democracy.