TAIWAN: Taiwan on Sunday said that three Chinese warplanes entered its air identification zone (ADIZ), the sixth intrusion from Beijing in the month.
In a reaction to the move, Taiwan sent aircraft, broadcasted radio warnings, and also deployed air defence missile systems to track all three planes, Taiwan News reported.
Taiwan authorities informed that one Chinese Shaanxi Y-8 warplane and two Shenyang J-16 fighter jets were among the three planes that entered into country’s ADIZ.
On October 3, Taipei had also informed that at least 58 Chinese warplanes have entered its ADIZ in just two days.
Taiwan has surfaced one of the biggest incursions by Beijing in the last few days.
The incursions happened as Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.
Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing.
China has also threatened that “Taiwan’s independence” means war. On June 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to complete reunification with self-ruled Taiwan and vowed to smash any attempts at formal independence for the island. (ANI)