Taiwan claims incursions by Chinese air force including 'nuclear-capable bombers'

Taiwan on Saturday reported incursions by Chinese Air Force, who allegedly violated the country's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). Taiwanese Defence Ministry on January 23 informed that eight Chinese nuclear-capable bombers and four fighter jets violated the country's airspace, calling it an "unusual" activity. According to reports, Taiwan responded by conducting air sorties, sending warnings over radio control and also by activating its air defence missile system. 

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The alleged incursions that took place on Saturday included eight H-6K bombers and four J-16 fighter jets. The Taiwanese defence ministry said that China has been operating daily flights over the waters between the southern part of Taiwan and the self-ruled island nation-controlled Pratas Islands, which lie in the South China Sea. The ministry added that what made Saturday violation unusual was the number of planes sent by mainland China. During earlier flights, China sent only one or two aircraft, however, on Saturday, at least 12 planes were involved in the ADIZ violation. 

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China-Taiwan dispute 

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has been regularly violating Taipei's airspace for the past several months. The large incursion on Saturday comes days after Taiwan conducted a military drill as a show of strength. Experts see China's violation of the median line as a way to coerce Taiwan into towing Beijing's line. China allegedly aims to put pressure on Taiwan by making regular incursions, especially over the growing relations between the island nation and Washington. 

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Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who came into power in 2016 and has since become a massive thorn for China, is calling for indigenous development of the country's military to counter threats from Beijing. Under Tsai's rule, Taiwan has not only developed closer ties with Washington but has also purchased high-end military equipment for billions of dollars, including armed drones, rocket systems, missiles, etc, making Beijing wary of the ties. China has warned the US on several occasions to adhere to the 'One-China' policy and stop engaging with Taiwan.

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(Image Credit: AP)