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Taiwan reports Chinese warplanes and warships around

island

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China angered by $2 bln US arms package for Taiwan

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China views Taiwan as its own territory

By Ben Blanchard and Ryan Woo

TAIPEI/BEIJING, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence

ministry said on Sunday that Chinese warplanes and warships had

carried out another "combat patrol" near the island, after

Beijing threatened to take countermeasures in response to a $2

billion arms sale package by the United States.

The United States is bound by law to provide Chinese-claimed

Taiwan with the means to defend itself despite the lack of

formal diplomatic ties, to the constant anger of Beijing.

The Pentagon said on Friday the United States had approved a

potential $2 billion arms sale package to Taiwan, including the

delivery for the first time to the island of an advanced air

defence missile system battle-tested in Ukraine.

Taiwan's defence ministry said it had detected 19 Chinese

military aircraft, including Su-30 fighter jets, carrying out a

"joint combat readiness patrol" around Taiwan in conjunction

with Chinese warships starting on Sunday morning.

It said the Chinese aircraft flew in airspace to the

north, centre, southwest and east of Taiwan, and that Taiwanese

forces were dispatched to keep watch.

China's defence ministry did not answer calls seeking

comment outside normal office hours.

China stages such patrols around Taiwan several times a

month, but this was the first since Beijing held a new round of

full-blown war games near the island this month.

In a statement late on Saturday, China's foreign ministry

said it strongly condemned and firmly opposed the latest U.S.

weapons sales and had lodged "solemn representations" with

Washington.

China urges the United States to immediately stop arming

Taiwan and stop its dangerous moves that undermine peace and

stability in the Taiwan Strait, it added.

"China will take resolute countermeasures and take all

measures necessary to firmly defend national sovereignty,

security and territorial integrity," the ministry said, without

elaborating.

China has over the past five years stepped up its military

activities around democratically governed Taiwan, whose

government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.

Taiwan's government has welcomed the new arms sale, the 17th

to the island under U.S. President Joe Biden's administration.

"In the face of China's threats, Taiwan is duty-bound to

protect its homeland, and will continue to demonstrate its

determination to defend itself," Taiwan's foreign ministry said

on Saturday, responding to the arms sale.