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Taiwan Jets Scramble as China Air Force Enters Air Defense Zone


In this photo taken May 2022 and released on May 27, 2022 by the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense, a French made Mirage fighter jet takes off from an airbase near Pingtung in Southern Taiwan.
In this photo taken May 2022 and released on May 27, 2022 by the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense, a French made Mirage fighter jet takes off from an airbase near Pingtung in Southern Taiwan.

Taiwan on Monday reported the largest incursion since January by China's air force in its air defense zone, with the island's defense ministry saying Taiwanese fighters scrambled to warn away 30 aircraft in the latest uptick in tensions.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for the past two years or so of repeated missions by China's air force near the democratically governed island. The jets often fly in the southwestern part of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, or ADIZ, close to the Taipei-controlled Pratas Islands.

Taiwan calls China's repeated nearby military activities "gray zone" warfare, designed to both wear out Taiwan's forces by making them repeatedly scramble, and also to test Taiwan's responses.

The latest Chinese mission included 22 fighters, as well as electronic warfare, early warning and antisubmarine aircraft, the Taiwan ministry said.

The aircraft flew in an area to the northeast of the Pratas, according to a map the ministry provided, though far from Taiwan itself.

Taiwan sent combat aircraft to warn away the Chinese aircraft, while missile systems were deployed to monitor them, the ministry said.

It was the largest incursion since Taiwan reported 39 Chinese aircraft in its ADIZ on Jan. 23.

There was no immediate comment from China, which has in the past said such moves were drills aimed at protecting the country's sovereignty.

China's military said last week it had recently conducted an exercise around Taiwan as a "solemn warning" against its "collusion" with the United States.

That came after U.S. President Joe Biden angered China by appearing to signal a change in a U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity" on Taiwan by saying the United States would get involved militarily if China were to attack the island.

China has stepped up pressure on Taiwan to accept its sovereignty claims. Taiwan's government says it wants peace but will defend itself if attacked.

No shots have been fired and the Chinese aircraft have not been flying in Taiwan's air space, but in its ADIZ, a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols that acts to give it more time to respond to any threats.

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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