China sends warships and aircraft around Taiwan for second day

China sent warships and aircraft near Taiwan for a second day on Friday, Taipei said, after President Tsai Ing-wen angered Beijing by meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Three Chinese warships sailed in waters surrounding the self-ruled island, while a fighter jet and an anti-submarine helicopter also crossed the island's air defence identification zone, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said.

On Wednesday, China's Shandong aircraft carrier, one of two in its naval fleet, sailed through Taiwan's southeastern waters on its way to the western Pacific, hours before Tsai met McCarthy in Los Angeles.

Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, had repeatedly warned against the meeting, and reiterated on Thursday that it would take "forceful measures to firmly safeguard national sovereignty".

Tsai told reporters her government was committed to ensuring "the free and democratic way of life of the people of Taiwan" before she left Los Angeles, where she was stopping on her way back from Latin America.

"We also hope to do our best to maintain peace and stability between the two sides," she added.

Last August, China deployed warships, missiles and fighter jets around Taiwan for its largest show of force in years following a trip to the island by McCarthy's predecessor Nancy Pelosi.

Its response to the Tsai-McCarthy meeting has so far been on a much lower level, but still left Taiwan on alert.

Premier Chen Chien-jen said on Friday that Taiwan's defence and security agencies were keeping a close eye on developments, and asked "the public to rest assured".

On Thursday, the defence ministry said three warships had been detected around the Taiwan Strait and one Chinese naval helicopter crossed...