China sent 39 military planes, mostly fighter jets, to fly over Taiwan’s air defense zone on Sunday, in the second largest incursion since October, the island’s government revealed.
The Ministry of Defense of Taiwan it said in a statement late Sunday that it had moved its own planes to issue warnings and activated its air defense missile systems to follow the 39 Chinese planes.
Taiwan lives under constant threat of invasion by China, which regards the democratically governed island as part of its territory and has said it will take it back, even by force.
The last quarter of 2021 saw a sharp spike in Chinese air defense identification zone (ADIZ) incursions, with 56 entries in a single day on October 4, the highest number on record.
Sunday’s raids are the second largest on record and included 24 J-26 fighters, 10 J-10s and a nuclear-capable H-6 bomber.
It was not clear why China moved so many planes in a single day.
However, they came after the United States and Japan conducted naval exercises in the Philippine Sea, including waters east of Taiwan.
Another 13 Chinese warplanes entered the island’s ADIZ on Monday.
Taiwan began in September 2020 to regularly publish reports of Chinese air raids.
ADIZ is not the same as Taiwan’s airspace, and includes a large portion that overlaps with China’s air defense zone.
Last year, Taiwan recorded 969 raids by Chinese planes on its ADIZ, according to a database compiled by AFP, more than double the nearly 380 made in 2020.
.
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
