Taiwan says 37 Chinese military aircraft entered its air defence zone
Dozens of Chinese fighters and bombers entered patrol area, says Taipei, in latest incursion by military
Reuters
Thu 8 Jun 2023 01.12 EDT
Taiwan activated its defence systems on Thursday after reporting 37 Chinese military aircraft flying into the island’s air defence zone, some of which then flew into the western Pacific, in Beijing’s latest mass air incursion.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has over the past three years regularly flown its air force into the skies near the island, though not into Taiwan’s territorial airspace.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said that starting from 5am it had detected 37 Chinese air force planes, including J-11 and J-16 fighters as well as nuclear-capable H-6 bombers, flying into the south-western corner of its air defence identification zone, or ADIZ. The ADIZ is a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols to give its forces more time to respond to threats.
Some of the Chinese aircraft flew to Taiwan’s south-east and crossed into the western Pacific to perform “air surveillance and long distance navigation training”, Taiwan’s defence ministry said in its short statement.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/08/taiwan-says-37-chinese-military-aircraft-entered-its-air-defence-zone
