Taiwan is tracking dozens of Chinese warplanes and navy vessels off its coast on the second day of a large exercise the People’s Liberation Army held in response to the island's new leadership. The defense ministry said it tracked 49 warplanes and 19 navy vessels as well as Chinese coast guard vessels Friday. It said 35 planes flew across the median of the Taiwan Strait, the de facto boundary between the sides. The island's new President Lai Ching-te visited a marine base on Thursday and said Taiwan would “continue to maintain the values of freedom and democracy.” A Beijing official said Lai as soon as he took office had “challenged the one-China principle," which asserts Taiwan is part of China.
