Tensions have continued to simmer in the Taiwan Strait over the past two days with increased military activity and tit-for-tat actions reported by China and Taiwan, as the United States also maintains its presence in the region.

Chinese netizens on Friday posted several video clips online showing a J-20 fighter jet flying at low altitude in Zhejiang province’s Quzhou, which is just 500 kilometers (311 miles) from Taiwan. A J-20 jet taking off in Quzhou could reach Taiwan in about 15 minutes.

The jet sighting was followed on Saturday by Chinese think tank South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative posting on Twitter that two U.S. reconnaissance aircraft, an EP-3E and a P-8A, had been patrolling over the South China Sea on Saturday morning. The EP-3E had flown as close as 47.81 nautical miles (88.5 kilometers) from the coast of Guangdong.

The SCSPI has been closely monitoring U.S. military activity in the region and said on Friday that a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft had switched its electronic identification to disguise itself as a Philippines airplane when it was hovering above the Yellow Sea on Sept. 22. SCSPI said last week that a U.S. RC-135S reconnaissance aircraft had changed its electric identification to that of a Malaysian commercial aircraft.

Taiwan has not remained idle amid the increased military activity in the region, with the Taiwan Coast Guard confirming that a navy transport dock had been carrying out military duties near the coast of Taitung, which was witnessed by locals.

The Taiwan Coast Guard has sent large-scale military ships to anchor off Matsu Island since September to ward off Chinese sand dredgers which were illegally extracting sand in Taiwan’s territory.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Saturday visited the air force’s Third Logistics Command, army’s military school and the navy’s underwater operations unit in Kaohsiung.

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