Taiwan: 11 Chinese military aircraft enter air defense identification zone

Eleven Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Wednesday, local media reported.

In response, the Ministry of National Defense sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defence missile systems to track the 11 Chinese planes.

Seven Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, one Shaanxi Y-8 EW electronic warfare plane, and one Shaanxi KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft appeared in the southwestern corner of the ADIZ, where most of the Chinese jets have been spotted, Taiwan News reported.

According to Taiwan News, two Xi'an H-6 strategic bombers continued on their journey south of Taiwan before reentering the country's ADIZ in the southeast.

Wednesday saw the highest number of intrusions by Chinese military aircraft for April as tension continues over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

An ADIZ is an area that extends beyond a country's airspace where air traffic controllers ask incoming aircraft to identify themselves.

Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.

Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing. China has threatened that "Taiwan's independence" means war.

(ANI)