Taipei's defence ministry said it detected 21 Chinese military aircraft, including fighters and drones, of which 15 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait in a "combat readiness patrol".

"The relevant actions are highly provocative... bring instability and threats to the region, and are a blatant violation of the regional status quo," the ministry said in a statement.

Beijing claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has not renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.

It has ramped up military pressure on Taipei in recent years, and dispatched warplanes and naval vessels around the island on a near-daily basis.

Friday's patrol followed a phone call Thursday between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, during which the two leaders discussed Taiwan.

Xi warned that Washington should handle the issue "with caution" to avoid Taiwanese separatists "dragging China and the United States into the danger of conflict", according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

The Chinese leader's comments come after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Beijing's military was "rehearsing for the real deal" and preparing for a potential invasion of Taiwan.