0810 V2-China Sends Fighter Jets as US Health Chief Visits Taiwan

On August 10, Taiwan’s government said that Chinese air force jets briefly crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait and were tracked by Taiwanese missiles as U.S. health chief Alex Azar visited the island to offer President Donald Trump’s support. On Sunday, August 9, Azar arrived in Taiwan, the highest-level U.S. official to visit in four decades. This visit comes after a period of sharply deteriorating relations between China and the United States. China, which claims the island as its own, condemned the visit. Taiwan’s air force said, at around 9 a.m. (01:00 GMT), shortly before Azar met Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, China flew J-11 and J-10 fighter aircraft briefly onto Taiwan’s side of the sensitive and narrow strait that separates it from its giant neighbor.