Two Chinese fighter jets entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Saturday, as informed by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense. The incursions took place at 8:53 am and 1:23 pm (local time) respectively, Taiwan News reported. As per the report, the jets maintained an altitude of 9,800 meters northeast of Dongsha island in the southwest sector of the ADIZ. The Chinese jets in both cases reportedly turned back after the Taiwanese military dispatched jets, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to intercept the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 Flanke jets from China.
The intrusions were the first since Thursday (April 28). They marked the 25th day of Chinese incursions into Taiwan in April. The month of April witnessed a total of 72 Chinese incursions into Taiwan. According to Taiwan News, there have been 78 days in 2022, so far, when Taiwan has faced Chinese aggression in the form of ADIZ incursions by a total of 348 People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft.
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.
