More than 30 Chinese warplanes cross into Taiwan's air defence zone

Over the span of nearly six hours, more than 30 Chinese aeroplanes invaded Taiwan’s air defence zone, according to the island’s defence ministry, marking a significant increase in single-day intrusions by China’s military.

Taiwan activated its defence systems after 37 Chinese military aircraft flew into the island’s air defence zone, some of which then flew into the western Pacific, in Beijing’s latest mass air incursion.

China claims self-rule Taiwan as its territory and has pledged to reclaim it by force if necessary.

Beijing has increased aerial intrusions into the island’s air defence identification zone in recent years, nearly tripling the number of aviation flights in 2022 compared to the previous year.

Sun Li-fang, spokesperson for Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence, claimed Thursday that “a total of 37 Chinese military aircrafts” entered Taiwan’s southern ADIZ beginning at 5 a.m. local time (2100 GMT).

“Some continued… towards the Western Pacific for long-range reconnaissance training,” Sun said at around 11 am.

While not the highest number of intrusions this year (45 sorties on April 9), Thursday’s spike happened in a considerably shorter time frame.

Taiwan’s defence ministry said that from 5 a.m. (2100 GMT on Wednesday) it had detected 37 Chinese air force planes, including J-11 and J-16 fighters as well as nuclear-capable H-6 bombers, flying into the southwestern corner of its air defence identification zone, or ADIZ.

The ADIZ is a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols to give its forces more time to respond to threats.

Some of the Chinese aircraft flew to Taiwan’s southeast and crossed into the western Pacific to perform “air surveillance and long distance navigation training”, the ministry said in a statement.

Taiwan sent its aircraft and ships to keep watch and activated land-based missile systems, it added, using its standard wording for how it responds to such Chinese activity.

Taiwan’s military is “closely monitoring the situation,” the Ministry of National Defence stated on Twitter, adding that patrol planes, naval boats, and land-based missile systems have been despatched in response.

They did not say whether the invasions were still going on.

Analysts believe China’s intensified probing of Taiwan’s defensive zone is part of a larger “grey-zone” strategy to put the island under strain.

The incursions came a day after the United States, the Philippines and Japan completed their first-ever joint coastguard drills in the flashpoint South China Sea — which Beijing claims almost entirely.

A surge in warplanes and naval exercises by China’s military around Taiwan usually coincides with Taipei making diplomatic engagements with other countries.

China lashes out at any diplomatic action that appears to treat Taiwan as a sovereign nation and has reacted with growing assertiveness to any joint military exercises around the island or visits by Western politicians.

In April, Beijing conducted three days of military exercises simulating a blockade of the island in response to Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen meeting in California.

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