45 Chinese Fighter Jets Patrol around Taiwan

Taipei on Wednesday reported detecting 45 Chinese military aircraft near Taiwan, marking the highest count for a single day this year. This development comes less than a week before the inauguration of Taiwan's new president, whom China considers a "dangerous separatist."

China asserts sovereignty over democratic Taiwan and has reiterated its stance of not ruling out the use of force to reunify it with the mainland.

The Chinese government has cautioned against the incoming president, Lai Ching-te, warning of potential "war and decline" for the island. Tensions have escalated since Lai's victory in the January election.

On Wednesday, the defense ministry of Taipei reported that they had identified 45 Chinese aircraft and six naval vessels operating in the vicinity of Taiwan in the 24-hour period before 6:00 am (2200 GMT).

"26 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait," the ministry said in a statement, referring to a line bisecting the 180-kilometre (110-mile) waterway that separates Taiwan from China.