China encroaches self ruled Taiwan's airspace with record 56 warplanes

Taiwan’s defense ministry on October 4 said that China has sent a record 56 military planes towards Taiwan’s sovereign airspace as the communist regime continued its belligerence and harassment on the self-ruled island. According to the defense ministry, the first sortie of aircraft consisting of 52 jets, including 34 J-16 fighter aircraft and 12 H-6 bombers flew near the island’s air corridor, later at least four Chinese J-16s entered a southwestern part of Taiwan's air defense identification zone, Taiwan’s defense ministry stated in a document on Twitter. Taiwanese Air Force scrambled to intercept the jets out of the island, flagging China’s attempts of incursions, Taiwan’s defense ministry further stated. 

"China has been wantonly engaged in military aggression, damaging regional peace," Taiwan premier Su Tseng-chang said in his remarks to the state reporters. 

Total incursion shoot up to nearly 814 in month of September 

Monday’s military manoeuvres by the Chinese air force push the total instances of the incursion to nearly 814 since September 2020. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price condemned China’s harassment of Taiwan, saying that such actions undermine regional peace and stability.

"We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan," the statement issued by the US State Department read on October 4. Underlining the US's stance on the commitments as outlined in the Three Communiques, The Taiwan Relations, and the Six Assurances, Price added, "The US commitment to Taiwan is rock solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region. We will continue to stand with friends and allies to advance our shared prosperity, security, and values and deepen our ties with democratic Taiwan."

On 23 September, Taiwan submitted the application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which the UK also seeks to join. China, meanwhile, has also submitted its own application to join the trade pact, according to the state-run media reports. China had openly lodged an official protest against the move by Taiwan, denouncing any official exchanges between the West and Taiwan. PRC stressed that China views Taiwan as an "inseparable part of its territory." While a self-ruled democratic island, Taiwan, calls itself a sovereign state, China has increased its claim on the island and calls it a ‘breakaway province.’ In several instances, the officials of China’s Communist government have revealed that it would use military force to curb the island’s independence. 

On China National Day, celebrated on October 1, at least 38 People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighter jets encroached Taiwan’s airspace majorly stretching across the Taiwan Strait, including parts of the Chinese province of Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jinagxi, Ministry of National Defence informed in a statement. Several fighter jets including 18 Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, four SU-30 jets, two Xian H-6 bombers, and a Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare (Y-8 ASW) of People’s Liberation Army entered Taiwan’s sovereign airspace near the Pratas Islands in “two separate waves,” Taiwan’s defense ministry stated.  Taiwan responded by scrambling its jets. Defense Ministry for the island said that its forces broadcasted radio warnings and deployed the air defence missile systems that monitored the activity.