SHANGHAI, September 17. /TASS/. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China scrambled fighter jets on Tuesday to monitor a US P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft over the Taiwan Strait, Senior Colonel Li Xi, spokesperson for the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command, said in a statement released on the command’s official account on WeChat.

"On September 17, a US P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft flew over the Taiwan Strait. The PLA’s Eastern Theater Command dispatched fighter jets to track and monitor the flight of the US aircraft, as it took measures in accordance with laws and regulations," the statement reads. "The armed forces in the region always remain on high alert as they protect national sovereignty as well as regional peace and stability," Li emphasized.