(Illustrative photo) Two Chinese SU-30 fighter jets take off from an unspecified location to conduct a patrol over the South China Sea in this undated photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency. JIN DANHUA / AP
As of Thursday, 5 a.m. local time (11 p.m. Paris), “a total of 37 Chinese warplanes” have entered the Air Defense Identification Zone (or ADIZ, for Air Defense Identification Zone, in English) within six hours. of Taiwan, Taiwan Defense Ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang announced on Thursday, June 8. “Some traveled further to the western Pacific for long-range reconnaissance training,” he said.
An ADIZ is a large area unilaterally designated by countries where they require foreign aircraft to identify themselves for reasons of national security. But Beijing-Taipei ties, which were at their lowest since Xi Jinping took power more than a decade ago, have continued to deteriorate in recent years, and China has stepped up military incursions around the island.
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Use of patrol aircraft, warships and land-based missiles
Since the end of China’s civil war in 1949, China has viewed Taiwan as a province it has yet to successfully reunify with the rest of its territory, and Beijing is seeking that reunification — by force if necessary.
Although there hasn’t been the largest number of Chinese incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ this year — 45 Chinese planes invaded on April 9 — Thursday’s wave came in a very short time frame. short.
Taiwanese army ‘closely monitoring situation’ the ministry said on TwitterIn response, patrol aircraft, warships and land-based missile systems were stationed.
Thursday’s operations come a day after the conclusion of the first joint US-Japan-Philippine Coast Guard exercises in the South China Sea.