US national security adviser John Bolton has rebuked China for sending warplanes into Taiwanese airspace in remarks analysts viewed as America backing the self-ruled island against Beijing. In a Twitter message, Bolton wrote: “Chinese military provocation won’t win any hearts or minds in Taiwan. “But they will strengthen the resolve of people everywhere who value democracy. The Taiwan Relations Act and our commitment are clear.” Beijing considers Taiwan a wayward province subject to eventual union by force if necessary. On Sunday, two PLA warplanes flew over the Taiwan Strait and crossed a “median line” that tacitly divides the mainland from the island. Analysts in Taiwan saw it as a warning to the US to stop sending warships on what Washington said were “freedom of navigation” operations in international waters. According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, the J-11s crossed the line into the island’s southwestern airspace at about 11am. The Taiwanese military scrambled warplanes to warn off the Chinese jets, which flew within about 185km of Taiwan proper and remained in Taiwanese airspace for about 10 minutes. On Monday, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, ordered that any provocation by Chinese warplanes be dealt with by force. Taiwan will forcefully expel PLA warplanes next time: Tsai Ing-wen “The military is firmly determined to defend the country’s democracy, sovereignty and security,” she said, vowing that “we will never give an inch of territory”. Her order came as both US state and defence departments issued statements describing the mainland Chinese act as a provocation and a change in the status quo. They asked that Beijing stop its coercion against Taiwan and resume cross-strait dialogue. “Beijing’s efforts to unilaterally alter the status quo are harmful and do not contribute to regional stability,” the state department said. “Consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, the US considers any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes, of grave concern to the US.” Both Bolton and the state department did not mention the one-China policy, nor the “three communiques” about US-China relations signed after Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. They repeated US commitments spelled out by the act, which include the supply of defensive weaponry to Taiwan. Beijing has suspended official exchanges with Taipei since Tsai became president in 2016 and her government refused to accept the one-China principle. Ties between the sides soured as US President Donald Trump decided to strengthen support for Taiwan in line with US interest regarding China.