China again performs military maneuvers near Taiwan

The exercise coincided with the visit of a group of German lawmakers who landed in Taiwan on Monday morning.

The head of the delegation is Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmerman, who heads the German Parliament's Defence Commission.

German lawmakers will meet with Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-Wen, as well as the head of Taiwan's National Security Council and other officials.

China has stepped up its pressure on Taiwan's army in recent years by sending fighter planes or naval ships almost every day to the self - governing island. China claims sovereignty over the island, which split from China in 1949 after a civil war.

Sunday's exercises have continued until Monday, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said, monitoring Chinese fighter planes and navy ships in its missile systems.

China's “actions have severely damaged peace and stability in Taiwan's straits and the waters around”, the ministry said.

During the 24 hours between 6am and 6am on Monday morning, China's People's Liberation Army flew 57 fighter planes and sailed four ships to Taiwan, Taiwan's National Defence Ministry said in a statement Monday morning.

Twenty - eight of those planes crossed the Taiwan Strait average line, an unofficial border that both sides had previously respected.

On January 8th, China announced the exercises around 11:00 p.m., saying their main objective was to practice land attacks and attacks by the sea”.