On Tuesday, Taiwanese fighters, bombers, and support aircraft flew off the island’s southern coast. Six bombers and their fighter escorts flew into the Pacific Ocean through the channel between Taiwan and the Philippines and back again, in the third-largest foray into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) this year.
In addition to the six H-6 bombers, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force sent 17 fighters and another six support planes, the Taiwanese military said. Some of them flew to northeast of Pratas atoll in South China Sea while two bombers and support aircraft took the Bashi Channel route into Pacific before returning the way they came.
According to the defense ministry, Taiwan sent interceptors and missile systems to help track the PLAAF Squadron. This was, according to Taipei the third largest group of Chinese planes to have entered the Taiwanese ADIZ in this year. A further 30 planes were also present on May 30, and a total of 39 planes flew by the ADIZ in January.
The island’s ADIZ extends far beyond Taiwan’s airspace and into mainland China, so even the routine flights by the PLAAF inside Chinese airspace technically count as incidents. Beijing has been accused of engaging in a war against Taipei. “gray zone warfare” on the island, deploying military assets to test Taiwan’s defenses and wear out the island’s military by making them scramble repeatedly.
China explained that the country’s recent rise in naval and aerial military activity was an attempt to discourage others. “collusion activities”Between “Taiwan independence forces”The US government has also pledged more weapons for the island.
US President Joe Biden said in March that Washington had a treaty obligation to get involved in any conflict between China and Taiwan, though his aides later walked back those comments and insisted that US policy hadn’t changed. TsaiIng-wen (Taiwanese president) stated that last year she had “faith”The US would intervene.
Since 1949 when China and America have been at odds over Taiwan, the US has made Taiwan a source of dispute between the two countries. The nationalist Kuomintang was defeated in the civil war against Communists. In the end the Americans helped Taiwan to become independent. The US recognized Taipei as the ‘Republic of China’ until 1978.
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