Taiwan says 19 Chinese military aircraft, including nuclear-capable bombers, entered its southwestern airspace on Sunday, the latest in a string of almost daily incursions by China’s air force. The Ministry of National Defense said it tracked the 19 Chinese planes as they flew into its air defence identification zone (ADIZ), and issued radio warnings to the crews.
The group included four H-6 bombers, 10 J-16 fighter jets and four Sukhoi SU-30 jets. A Y-8 transport and airborne early warning aircraft was also part of the incursion. The activity was also tracked by radar and missile defence systems were deployed, it added in a statement. The defence ministry released a map showing a flight path northeast of the Pratas, closer to the Chinese coast than the Taiwanese coast. Missile systems were deployed and combat aircraft was dispatched to warn away the Chinese planes, the ministry added. Taipei has been complaining for more than a year about repeated missions by China’s air force near the island. An air defence identification zone is an area outside of a country’s territory and national airspace but where foreign aircraft are still identified, monitored, and controlled in the interest of national security. It is self-declared and technically remains international airspace. China sees democratic Taiwan as a breakaway province, but Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign state.
China has not commented on the flight, the largest incursion since June 15 when at least 28 Chinese air force aircraft – also including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers – entered the ADIZ. That incursion followed a Group of Seven joint statement criticising China on a range of issues and reiterating the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. However, last week Taiwan’s defence ministry warned that China’s armed forces could “paralyse” Taiwan’s defences and that the Chinese threat is growing.
