Sharp drop in Chinese military aircraft near Taiwan raises questions

China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring the island under its control. Beijing has stepped up military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, deploying fighter jets and warships around the island on a near-daily basis. But since February 28, only two Chinese aircraft have been recorded in a single 24-hour period near Taiwan, according to an AFP tally of figures released daily by the defence ministry. That compares with 86 for the same period last year.