Taiwan dispatched fighter jets to warn off 29 Chinese aircraft that flew into its air defense zone, including bombers that traveled to the island’s south and into the Pacific.
The Chinese warplane invasion on Tuesday is the most recent flare-up in relations between Taipei and Beijing, and it is China’s greatest air defense zone violation since late May.According to Taiwan’s defense ministry, the newest Chinese mission includes 17 fighters and six H-6 bombers, as well as electronic warfare, early warning, anti-submarine, and aerial refueling aircraft.
Taiwan dispatched fighter jets to warn off the Chinese planes, while missile systems were deployed to track their path, according to the ministry, which used conventional language for its response.
Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as its own, has protested for more than two years about Chinese air force flights near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the southwestern part of China’s air defence identification zone, or ADIZ.
According to a map released by the Ministry of Defense, some Chinese aircraft flew in a region northeast of the Pratas. The bombers flew into the Bashi Channel, which separates Taiwan from the Philippines, and then into the Pacific before returning to China, followed by an electronic warfare and intelligence gathering aircraft.Since Taiwan reported 30 Chinese aircraft entering its ADIZ on May 30, this was the largest air zone incursion. The largest of the year took place in January and involved 39 planes.Warfare in the ‘grey zone’
China’s military efforts are referred to in Taiwan as “grey zone” warfare, as they are intended to wear out Taiwanese forces by forcing them to scramble frequently, as well as to test Taiwanese replies.
China, which has previously stated that such actions are drills aimed at safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, did not respond immediately.
On Friday, China unveiled its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which is named after the province that borders Taiwan.Last month, China’s military staged a drill around Taiwan that it described as a “serious warning” against the democratically-run island’s “collusion” with the US.
That came after US Vice President Joe Biden enraged China by appearing to foreshadow a shift in Washington’s policy of “strategic ambiguity” on Taiwan by declaring that if China attacked the island, the US would intervene militarily.China has increased its pressure on Taiwan to recognise its claims to sovereignty. The administration of Taipei claims to seek peace, but it will defend itself if attacked.
China’s ADIZ incursions increased in the fourth quarter of 2021, with the largest single-day breach being on October 4 when 56 Chinese warplanes entered the zone.
Chinese planes have not flown into Taiwan’s airspace, but rather in the ADIZ, a larger area that Taiwan monitors and patrols to allow the island more time to respond to potential threats.
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