HONG KONG /XIANGGANG/, November 7. /TASS/. At least 63 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) planes and 4 military ships were detected near Taiwan Monday, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry tweeted.

The planes include J-11, J-16 and J-10 models, as well as the Y-8 signals intelligence plane and the KJ-500 early warning plane. According to the Taiwanese ministry, 31 planes crossed the so-called median line in the Taiwan Strait. The Taiwanese air patrols scrambled in response, with Taiwanese military deploying air defense systems and airing radio warnings.

One day earlier, the Taiwanese Defense Minister warned that 4 PLA ships and 46 military aircraft, including drones, jet planes and helicopters, approached the island, with 21 aircraft crossing the so-called median line.

The PLA aviation activity has been observed after the British government announced that Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands will travel to Taiwan for a two-day visit, during which he will meet with the island’s administration head Tsai Ing-wen. The Chinese Foreign Ministry called on London to stop official contacts with the Taibei administration.

Taiwan, the largest Chinese island, has been controlled by its own administration since 1949, but Beijing considers it an inseparable part of the country.