Taipei: Amid the ongoing tension between China and Taiwan, on Thursday, the defense minister of the island country told that within 6 hours, more than 30 Chinese fighter jets entered Taiwan’s air defense zone. There has been a rapid increase in the one-day incursions of the Chinese Army.
China claims that self-ruled Taiwan is their territory and if needed, they will take it in a day. In recent years, China has stepped up incursions into the area identified as Taiwan’s air defense, which has doubled in 2022 compared to the years before.
Taiwan’s National Defense Minister spokesman Sun Li Fang said on Thursday that at 5 am local time, about 37 military aircraft had entered Taiwan’s southwest border. At the same time, he told at 11 o’clock that some of them headed towards the western Pacific for long-range reconnaissance training and remained there.
However, this is not the major intrusion of this year. Earlier on April 9, there were about 45 sorties, although Thursday’s intrusion took place in a very short span of time. In a tweet, the ministry said that Taiwan’s army is keeping a close watch on it. In response, patrol aircraft, naval ships and land-based missile systems have been dispatched.
Taiwan’s border overlaps with China
Let us tell you that Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone is much bigger than its air area, and at some places it also overlaps with China’s Air Defense Identification Zone. Not only this, not only the airspace, but somewhere it also includes the mainland. Analysts say China’s increasing probe into Taiwan’s defense sector is part of its broader gray zone strategy to keep pressure on the island.
China refuses to recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation
The incursion took place a day before the US, the Philippines and Japan announced the completion of their joint Coast Guard exercise in the South China Sea. The increase in fighter jets and naval exercises of the Chinese army around Taiwan along with Taiwan’s diplomatic engagement with other countries makes many things clear. China has always condemned diplomatic actions that recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state and has reacted sharply to any joint exercises taking place around the island.
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