Taiwan's airspace breached by two Chinese warplanes yet again

As Taiwan has so far witnessed over 600 Chinese sorties breach its air defence identification zone (ADIZ) this year, two more Chinese military warplanes entered Taipei on Monday. According to Taiwan News report, Taiwan's Defence Ministry confirmed intrusion by Chinese warplanes for the ninth time this year. According to the Ministry of National Defence (MND), a People's Liberation Army (PLA) KJ-500 airborne early warning and control plane and a Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft entered the southwest corner of Taiwan's ADIZ.

The defence ministry said it has sent aircraft in response to the Chinese intrusion. The ministry said it has broadcasted warning signals to the Chinese planes, but nothing worked. Subsequently, they deployed missile systems to monitor the PLA planes. It is worth noting that the tension between both the countries increased multiple folds after more than 150 Chinese military aircraft breached the airspace of Taiwan in the last four days. While speaking to Taipei Times, Minister of National Defence Chiu Kuo-cheng said that the military tensions with China are at their worst in more than 40 years.

Taiwan urges Beijing to stop 'irresponsible provocative actions'

Further, he said nearly 150 People's Liberation Army (PLA) military aircraft had entered its air defence identification zone, as a part of a pattern called "harassment of the nation". Notably, after a record number of Chinese warplanes entered Taiwan's air defence zone, Taiwan urged Beijing to stop its "irresponsible provocative actions."

Meanwhile, experts familiar with the day to day developments said these are the largest intrusions by the People's Liberation Army since Taipei began publicly publicising such acts last year. Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US.

Taiwan, home to 23.6 million people, split from China during a civil war that led to the Communist Party taking control of the mainland in 1949. Despite this, Beijing violated Taiwan's border claiming full sovereignty over Taiwan, even though the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades. The Communist government, on several occasions, stepped up military exercises around self-ruled Taiwan, which it considers its own territory.                                                                           

Reacting to the Chinese aggression against Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-Wen, during a press conference on September 9, had said that the government left no stone unturned in bolstering Taiwan's self-defence and ensured taking steps that could prevent Chinese "irrelevant intervention". On the other hand, the People’s Liberation Army had said the exercise was necessary to safeguard "China’s sovereignty". 

With inputs from ANI

Image: AP