Taiwan detects second Chinese military patrol in a week, counters with naval and air deployments

Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Pan Chun-kuang, from the ministry's intelligence department, said Taiwan also continues to track the movements of China's aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, operating in the Western Pacific.

China carried out a similar "readiness patrol" last Tuesday, the day before Taiwan President Lai Ching-te marked his second year in office. China calls Lai a "separatist" and has rebuffed multiple offers from him for talks.

Su Tzu-yun, a director at Taiwan's top military think tank, the Institute for National Defence and Security Research, said Chinese warships equipped with cruise missiles are being deployed as close as 24 nautical miles from Taiwan's shores during these "combat" patrols.