Eight Chinese warplanes yesterday crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and flew close to waters under Taipei’s control, the Ministry of National Defense said.
The incursions occurred at about 8am and were part of what the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) calls “joint combat readiness patrols,” ministry spokesman Major General Sun Li-fang (孫立方) told a news conference in Taipei.
Nineteen Chinese warplanes were detected around Taiwan at the time, including an unspecified number of J-10 and J-16 fighter jets, Sun said, adding that eight of those breached the median line and approached the outer boundary of the contiguous zone, which is 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from Taiwan’s shore, Sun said.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
In addition to the aircraft, five PLA ships were detected in waters around Taiwan, Sun said.
The military used its joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system to closely monitor the PLA’s activities, and deployed aircraft, vessels and coastal defense missile systems in response, he said.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense did not answer calls seeking comment.
The PLA’s Eastern Theater Command yesterday published pictures on WeChat of J-16 fighter jets taking off on a training mission “far out at sea,” saying it happened “recently.”
Without providing details, the command said the aircraft carried out “tactical long-range flight training” involving in-flight refueling that covered “thousands of kilometers.”
Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said during an interpellation session at the Legislative Yuan on March 6 that Taiwan’s armed forces would open fire on intruders if they entered Taiwan’s territorial waters or airspace.
PLA aircraft and ships entered the contiguous zone and approached Taiwan’s territorial waters and airspace during large-scale military exercises China conducted around Taiwan in August last year after then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, Chiu said at the time.
If they had breached Taiwan’s territorial waters or airspace, the armed forces would have engaged, he said.
However, he said that to avoid giving the PLA reason to attack Taiwan, the military has always made a point of exercising self-restraint.
Additional reporting by AFP and Reuters
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