– On Friday, 38 Chinese military aircraft, including 32 fighters, entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone from the southwest. During the day, 25 planes flew into the zone, and in the evening 13, the Ministry of Defense of Taiwan said. Thus, China set a new daily record for an air defense invasion of Taiwan.
The invasion on Friday coincides with the 72nd anniversary of the proclamation of the People’s Republic of China as China’s national holiday.
Among the 38 Chinese aircraft that broke through the air defense that day, there were 32 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (CHAL-W) fighters, including 28 Shenyang J-16 fighters, four Su-30 fighters, four Xian H-6 bombers, one Shaanxi Y-8 and one Shaanxi KJ-500. In the evening, Shenyang J-16 fighters and Xian H-6 bombers performed a longer than usual maneuver of a semicircle over Taiwan. A similar situation took place at the end of September.
During most of the incidents, Chinese aircraft fly to the southwestern part of the zone, near the Taiwan-controlled Dongsha (Pratas) archipelago.
In response to both violations, the Taiwanese side sent its own combat aircraft (BSR) to monitor the situation, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. Missile defense systems were also involved and radio warnings were sent.
The last record for violations of the zone was set in mid-June, when 28 aircraft entered the zone, including 20 fighters. According to experts, the record invasion was associated with the G7 summit, during which attention was drawn to the need for a peaceful settlement of the situation in the Taiwan Strait.
In recent weeks, the Chinese army has increased its approach intensity again, sending one Shaanxi Y-8, Shaanxi KJ-500 or Shenyang J-16 fighter almost every day. In September, CHAL-W aircraft in relatively large numbers flew into the Taiwanese air defense twice: September 5 – 19 aircraft, September 23 – 24 aircraft.
On Monday, Taiwan’s Defense Minister Chiu Gocheng warned against a rapid military build-up in China and pointed out the need to develop long-range weapons. In September, the Taiwanese government also announced an additional $ 9 billion from the state budget for armaments over the next five years.