43 aircraft cross the Taiwan Strait while China conducts strike drills with 71 aircraft around Taiwan.
On Sunday, China claimed to have carried out “strike drills” in the sea and the airspace surrounding Taiwan in retaliation for what it claimed to be provocations by Taipei and the US.
According to a statement released by the Taiwan Defence Ministry on Monday, China employed about 71 warplanes for “attack drills” over the weekend near Taiwan. According to the sources, China responded to Taiwan by claiming that it had carried out “strike drills” on Sunday in the sea and the airspace surrounding the island in reaction to what it claimed was provocation from Taiwan and the United States.
Taiwan’s Defence Ministry issued a statement saying, “71 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were identified in our surrounding region around 6 am today.”
“47 of the detected aircraft had entered Taiwan’s southeast ADIZ after crossing the Taiwan Strait meridian line,” it continued.
Taiwan responded to the drills by claiming that they demonstrated how Beijing was damaging regional peace and attempting to intimidate Taiwan’s citizens.
According to a reports, Taiwan dispatched an unidentified combat aircraft to warn off the Chinese aircraft as missile systems watched over their course, the ministry stated in conventional language for a response.
China, which regards Taiwan as a part of its territory, has increased pressure on the autonomous island to submit to Beijing’s sovereignty in recent years. Taiwan denies China’s claim and declares that it wants peace but will defend itself if it is attacked.
After US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s travel to Taiwan in August amid multiple warnings from Beijing, tensions between the two nations grew this year. China increased its military exercises near the island nation after her visit.