38 Chinese jets flew into defence zone, says Taiwan

Taiwan has recently reported that 38 Chinese jets of its military flying into its air defence zone on Friday. It is one of the largest incursions of Beijing to date.

The defence ministry has said that the plans include nuclear-capable bombers. They have entered the area in two waves. Taiwan has responded with the scrambling of its jets. They have also deployed their missile system.

China looks at democratic Taiwan as a breakaway province. However, Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign state.

Taiwan has been coming up with complaints for more than a year now. The tension is heightening as China is deploying its repeated air force mission on Taiwan’s island.

“China has been wantonly engaged in military aggression, damaging regional peace,” Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters on Saturday.

The government in Beijing is marking 72 years since the foundation of the People’s Republic of China. It has not yet made any public comment. But previously such flights were to protect sovereignty. These have also targeted the “collusion” between the US and Taiwan.

In a statement, the defence ministry of Taiwan said that 25 People’s Liberation Army planes had entered the southwestern part of its air defence identification zone. They have entered during the daylight hours while flying near the Pratas Islands atoll.

An air defence identification zone is an area outside the territory and the national airspace of a country. However, at this place still, the aircraft of the foreign countries get identified, controlled, and monitored in the interest of national security.

A country declares this place on itself, which remains in the international airspace. It is having the follow-up from the second wave of 13 Chinese jets in the same area on Friday evening. They further flew over the waters between the Philippines and Taiwan.

The ministry further said that the Chinese aircraft had four H-6 bombers. It can carry nuclear weapons and anti-submarine aircraft. Beijing often launches such missions to show its displeasure to the comments that Taiwan makes. It is not yet clear what prompted this latest mission.

Credits: BBC