71 Chinese aircraft fly into Taiwanese air defence zone

Taipei, December 26

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Seventy-one Chinese air force aircraft including fighter jets and drones entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone in the past 24 hours, the island’s government said on Monday, the largest reported incursion to date.

Provocative

The United States is concerned over China’s military activity near Taiwan; it is provocative and destabilising. We will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defence capability in line with our long-standing commitments and consistent with our One-China policy. White House

Of the aircraft, 43 also crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line, an unofficial buffer between the two sides that lies within the defence zone, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said in a report, as Beijing continues military activities close to the Chinese-claimed island.

Taiwan’s official Central News Agency said it was the largest Chinese air force incursion to date, although there was no sense of alarm on the island, which has witnessed a steady increase in Chinese pressure in recent years.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, said it had conducted “strike drills” in the sea and airspace around Taiwan on Sunday in response to what it said was provocation from the democratically governed island and the United States.

Taiwan, which strongly rejects China’s sovereignty claims, said the drills showed Beijing was destroying regional peace and trying to intimidate Taiwan’s people.

A senior Taiwan official familiar with security planning in the region said that Taiwan assessed China had staged the military “provocation” to express anger at a new US defence authorisation law that boosts military assistance for Taiwan.

The person, who declined to be identified as the information was not made public, said during the drills China’s air force dispatched warplanes from several locations across the country to carry out simulated attacks on Taiwanese and US warships.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment.

The office of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said Tsai will call a high-level national security meeting on Tuesday to discuss reinforcing the island’s defence. — Reuters