Amid the ongoing tension between China and Taiwan, the defence minister of the island country said on Thursday that more than 30 Chinese fighter jets entered Taiwan’s air defence zone within 6 hours. There has been a rapid increase in the one-day incursions of the Chinese Army. China claims that self-ruled Taiwan is their territory, and they will take it in a day if needed.
In recent years, China has stepped up incursions into the area identified as Taiwan’s air defence, which has doubled in 2022 compared to the years before.
When Did The Intrusion Happen
Sun Li Fang, spokesman for Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense, said on Thursday that at 5 am local time, around 37 military aircraft had entered Taiwan’s southwest border. At the same time, he told me at 11 o’clock that, some of them headed towards the western Pacific for long-range reconnaissance training and remained there.
However, this is not the significant intrusion of this year. Earlier on April 9, there were about 45 sorties, although Thursday’s intrusion took place in a brief period. In a tweet, the ministry said Taiwan’s army is closely monitoring it. Patrol aircraft, naval ships and land-based missile systems have been dispatched in response.
Taiwan’s Border Overlaps With China
Let us tell you that Taiwan’s air defence identification zone is much larger than its air area, and in some places, it also overlaps China’s air defence identification zone. Not only this, not only the airspace but somewhere it also includes the mainland. Analysts say China’s increasing probe into Taiwan’s defence sector is part of its broader grey zone strategy to keep pressure on the island.
China’s Refusal To Recognize Taiwan As A Sovereign Nation
The intrusion occurred a day before the US, the Philippines and Japan spoke of completing their joint Coast Guard exercise in the South China Sea. The increase in fighter jets and naval activities of the Chinese army around Taiwan and Taiwan’s diplomatic engagement with other countries clear many things. China has always condemned diplomatic actions recognizing Taiwan as a sovereign state and has reacted sharply to joint exercises around the island.
