BULLIES: Taiwan Scrambles Jets after Chinese Air Force Breaches Buffer Zone.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said 18 fighter jets from mainland China’s air force, along with five H-6 bombers and a refueling aircraft, flew through the defense zone near the southern part of the island. Taiwan scrambled its own air force to respond and deployed missile systems to track the Chinese breach.

The incursion came at the close of a three-day military conference attended by Chinese premier Xi Jinping, where he called for the cultivation of military talent, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.

At the same time as the conference, five U.S. lawmakers conducted a surprise visit to Taiwan and met with President Tsai Ing-wen. The delegation affirmed U.S. support for Taiwan, and comprised Representatives Elissa Slotkin (D., Mich.), Nancy Mace (R., S.C.), Mark Takano (D., Calif.), Sara Jacobs (D., Calif.), and Colin Allred (D., Texas).

It’s pretty clear that Beijing’s actual audience wasn’t Taipei.