Taiwan warns of an 'obvious' threat after a vast armada of 50 Chinese vessels is spotted sweeping waters near the island

Taiwan's defence ministry identified the 50-vessel sweep as a deliberate show of force, with ships and aircraft spanning a wide arc of regional waters. The operation marks one of the largest single Chinese naval demonstrations in the Taiwan Strait area in recent months. Taiwan's military says it is monitoring the armada closely and has deployed its own forces in response.

The sweep covers waters beyond the immediate strait, extending across a broader regional zone.