Highlights
- Taiwan has complained of repeated missions by China close to the island
- The last such massive-scale activity involved 28 Chinese air force aircraft
- It was not clear what could have prompted the Chinese mission this time
Taipei:
Taiwan’s air force scrambled on Sunday against renewed Chinese military activity, with its defence ministry reporting that 19 aircraft which includes nuclear-capable bombers had flown into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone.
Chinese-claimed Taiwan has complained for a year or more of repeated missions by China’s air force close to the self-ruled island, typically in the southwestern portion of its air defence zone close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.
The most up-to-date Chinese mission involved 10 J-16 and 4 Su-30 fighters, as effectively as 4 H-6 bombers, which can carry nuclear weapons, and an anti-submarine aircraft, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry mentioned.
Taiwanese combat aircraft have been dispatched to warn away the Chinese aircraft, when missile systems have been deployed to monitor them, the ministry mentioned.
The Chinese aircraft flew in an location closer to the Chinese than Taiwanese coast, roughly northeast of the Pratas, according to a map offered by Taiwan’s defence ministry.
There was no quick comment from China.
The last such massive-scale activity, on June 15, involved 28 Chinese air force aircraft, the biggest incursion reported by Taiwan to date.
China typically mounts such missions to express displeasure at one thing Taiwan has performed or at shows of international assistance for the democratically ruled island, in particular by the United States, Taiwan’s key arms provider.
It was not clear what could have prompted China to launch its aircraft this time, although a U.S. warship and a U.S. Coast Guard cutter sailed via the Taiwan Strait late last month.
China has described its activities as required to defend the country’s sovereignty and deal with “collusion” involving Taipei and Washington.
Taiwan’s defence ministry warned last week that the threat from China was increasing, saying China’s armed forces can “paralyse” Taiwan’s defences and are in a position to totally monitor its deployments.
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