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 on Sunday, publicising the action just a few days before the U.S. and Chinese presidents are due to meet in South Korea. Taiwan's defence ministry denounced the report as a propaganda ploy.



Chinese state television's military channel's Weibo account said that recently units from the Eastern Theatre Command had conducted combat-oriented training to test their capabilities in areas like 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.



Taiwan's defence ministry said in a statement that the report was "clearly a public-opinion operation aimed at intimidation".



"We call on our citizens to remain united in the face of such cognitive operations, to uphold freedom and democracy, and to defend our homeland together," it added.