China-Taiwan one step away from war: "Targeted bombings"

Between China and Taiwan the climate is incandescent. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said that 71 Chinese military aircraft and nine ships crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. Beijing conducted drills with warships and dozens of fighter planes around Taiwan on Saturday in what was seen as retaliation for meeting between US lawmakers and the president of the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of the its territory. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) staged a series of precision raids against "key targets on the island of Taiwan and surrounding marine areas," CCTV said. In total, nine Chinese warships and 58 aircraft are currently around Taiwan. The ministry also added that it is monitoring "Chinese military movements through a joint intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance system," adding that the warplanes detected as of 12 noon local time (6:00 GMT) included a mix of fighter jets and bombers.