Ahead of Trump-Xi meeting, China says bombers flew near Taiwan

A group of Chinese H-6K bombers recently flew near Taiwan to practice “confrontation drills,” Chinese state media reported late Sunday, publicizing the action just a few days before the U.S. and Chinese presidents are due to meet in South Korea

A group of Chinese H-6K bombers recently flew near Taiwan to practice “confrontation drills,” Chinese state media reported late Sunday, publicizing the action just a few days before the U.S. and Chinese presidents are due to meet in South Korea.

Taiwan’s defense ministry denounced the report as a propaganda ploy.

Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, sends its combat aircraft and warships into the skies and waters around the island on a daily basis, though Taipei’s defense ministry has not reported any unusual activity lately.

The Weibo account for Chinese state television’s military channel said that recently — it did not give a date — units from the Eastern Theater Command had conducted combat-oriented training to test their capabilities in areas such as air blockades and precision strikes.

“Several J-10 fighters flew in combat formation to a designated target airspace, and multiple H-6K bombers went to the waters and airspace around Taiwan island to carry out simulated confrontation drills,” it added, without providing the location.