Taiwan reports Chinese aircraft raids as it condemns Russian attack on Ukraine

The government of Taiwan “strongly condemns Russia’s violation of the Charter of the United Nations” by “invading and occupying Ukraine”according to a statement published today by the island’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Russian actions “not only undermine regional and world peace and stability but also damage the international order,” the statement said, adding that Taiwan “upholds the universal values ​​of democracy and freedom” and “will participate in international economic sanctions against Russia”.

For its part, The Defense Ministry announced last night that nine Chinese military aircraft had carried out incursions into southwestern what Taipei considers its Air Defense Identification Zone. (ADIZ).

At a “delicate moment” due to the beginning of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, the Taiwan Air Force responded by sending an air patrol to “track and expel” the planes coming from the other side of the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry reported.

Sources from the island’s national security forces quoted by the local press warned this week that Beijing could take advantage of the situation in Ukraine to start a “cognitive war” that would have the objective of convincing the Taiwanese that the United States “would not honor its commitment to defend it” and “sow division”.

China claims for itself the sovereignty of Taiwan, which it considers a rebellious province for whose reunification it has not ruled out the use of force.

The island is one of the biggest sources of conflict between China and the United States.mainly due to the fact that Washington is Taiwan’s main arms supplier and would be its greatest military ally in the event of a war with China.

According Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, Beijing sent almost 1,000 aircraft to what Taipei considers its ADIZ in 2021, a figure that represents approximately three times the incursions registered in 2020, when the island began to keep a count of them. (I)