Chinese warplanes track US Navy aircraft through the sensitive Taiwan Strait

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has deployed military aircraft and ships to track and monitor a U.S. Navy plane transiting the sensitive Taiwan Strait, Beijing said, as the two nations continue to spar over self-ruled Taiwan. The U.S. Navy’s 7th fleet said Tuesday a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flew through the strait’s international space “in accordance with international law.” China criticized the U.S. mission and said it threatened regional peace and stability. U.S. military ships or aircraft regularly transit the waterway separating China from self-ruled Taiwan. Beijing claims the island as its own territory and threatens to annex it, by force if necessary.