HONG KONG, June 11. /TASS/. At least 24 Chinese aircraft approached Taiwan’s airspace on Sunday, the island’s Defense Ministry reported on its website.

"As of 2:00 p.m. local time today, 24 Communist planes were spotted, including J-10s, J-11s, J-16s and Su-30s [fighters] and H-6s [strategic bombers]," the ministry said.

According to the Taiwanese top brass, ten of the Chinese aircraft crossed the so-called median line of the Taiwan Strait. In addition, four Chinese naval ships stayed close to the island.

In response, the Taiwanese military scrambled fighters, naval ships and readied surface-to-air missile systems to monitor the situation, it said.

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 when the Kuomintang’s remaining forces headed by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) were defeated in the Chinese Civil War and took refuge on the island. Taiwan has preserved the flag and several other symbols of the Republic of China that had existed before the Communists took over the mainland. According to China’s official position supported by most countries, including Russia, the Island of Taiwan is one of China’s provinces.