Taiwan’s air force moved and positioned its jets in the air for a second consecutive day on Saturday as various Chinese aircraft advanced the island and traversed the sensitive midline of the Taiwan Strait. The island’s government pressed Beijing to “pull back from the edge”.
The Defence Ministry of Tawain claimed that 19 Chinese aircraft were involved in the incident with some crossing the Taiwan Strait midline and others flying into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone off its southwest coast.
It said China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its territory, sent two J-10 fighters, 12 J-16 fighters, two H-6 bombers, two J-11 fighters and one Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft. The map provided by the ministry shows that none got close to mainland Taiwan itself or flew over it.
The ministry said in a tweet that ROCAF (Republic of China Air Force), the formal name of Taiwan air force, moved fighters jets, and stationed air defence missile system to observe the activities.
Taiwan has repeatedly complained of incidents of Chinese aircraft near the island this year and has regularly had to scramble its F-16s and other jets to prevent them.
China had announced on Friday, about combat drills near the Taiwan Strait at a news conference in Beijing about China’s UN peacekeeping efforts and condemned what it called conspiracy between the island and the United States.
China was offended when Keith Krach, the US Undersecretary for Economic Affairs arrived in Taipei on Thursday for a three-day visit. This was an unprecedented visit in four decades by most senior State Department official in Taiwan. According to Taiwan’s foreign ministry, Keith Krach left Saturday afternoon.
'Pull back from the edge'
Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said that China was carrying out provocative activities which are a great threat to peace and stability
The Defence Ministry of Taiwan condemns these activities and urge China to control themselves and pull back from the edge.
China’s state-backed newspaper the Global Times said in a Saturday editorial that Friday’s drills were an exercise to take over Taiwan.
It warned that the US and Taiwan must not underestimate the situation nor should they assume the exercise as a bluff. If they continue to make provocations, war will unavoidably break out.
Johnny Chiang, leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party the Kuomintang took to Facebook and said that both sides need to resume dialogue to reduce the risk of war.
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