Six Chinese warplanes, including four H-6 strategic bombers, two electronic intelligence jets, one Tu-154MD and the other Y-8, flew past the Miyako Strait between Taiwan and Japan’s Okinawa prefecture on November 19, until the Japanese Self-defence Force scrambled jet fighters to monitor and intercept the flyover, Japan’s Ministry of Defence said.
Taiwan authorities confirmed that the Chinese warplanes crossed deep into the island’s airspace – above the waters off Eastern Taiwan – before following the same route back.
“The flyover was closely monitored while our warplanes and pilots were put on full alert. The national armed forces will strive to defend airspace and the safety of our people,” Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said in a statement.
A report on Monday in Beijing mouthpiece Global Times also said that a number of People’s Liberation Army Air Force planes traversed the Taiwan Strait – the first time after the conclusion of the Communist Party’s 19th Congress last month and US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing. It hailed the resumption of saber-rattling a “righteous patrolling of Beijing’s own sea and airspace”.
Taipei-based Liberty Times revealed that the PLA planes passed the suspected crash site of a Taiwan Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter which went missing northeast off Keelung on November 7.
“The two Chinese intelligence jets didn’t just happen to fly past the site, while the air-sea search for the pilot and plane is still underway, with frequent communication among ships, planes and the Taiwan military command…
“The Chinese spy planes aimed to intercept signals and collect intel about Taiwan army’s communication, as well as rescue and emergency deployment,” United Daily News quoted an observer as saying.
The spy version of the Russia-made Tu-154 can ascend to an altitude of 12,000 meters, and the China-modified Tu-154MD has a large synthetic aperture radar under its mainframe, together with infrared imaging and a television surveillance system. The aircraft has been plying Taiwan’s airspace in recent years when Beijing beefs up its intelligence warfare against the island.
Papers in Taiwan say the frequency of Beijing’s incursions into Taiwan airspace have ballooned within a short span of three years: from around once per quarter between 2015 and mid-2016 to at least 19 times in the 12 months up to August.
“Beijing has really made [such patrolling] a new normal and it has shown no intention to slacken the pace, with six planes above Taiwan in a single day,” a Taiwan military expert said.
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It is good to see more Chinese patrols in its own backyard keeping the peace. Avert war by maintaining a strong presence and warning off potential enemies!
Taiwan is already an independent country. These retarded communists obviously dont know their own borders.
China GTFO. Reapeating your communist lies wont make it true.
Taiwan is already an independent nation and was NEVER a part of the PRC.
soon they will be patrolling all of the south china sea.. then make another dash lines in antartic and say they owned it in dreams…
ELINT flights, lighting up all the radars and defence systems at once so they can gather information. Sending a subtle message too
Read history first!98% of migrants defeated soldiers from China during Ming/KMT and they can go there because it is Chinese lands
Keep your opinion until then.
This article is funadmentally misleading. It conflates Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) with its "airspace" (national borders including air above territorial waters). China has not violated Taiwan’s national borders because it knows its aircraft would be immediately shot down by Taiwan’s excellent military.
Soan Wah Lee it is my opinion isnt it ? true that they are grabbing everything.. ahh maybe someday even opinions will be owned by your 9 dash lines he he
Soan Wah Lee You are just another Chinese troll. No one likes China, this is the truth.
Low Ngee Kiat People in Austria also speak German. Dont repeat nonsense Chinese propaganda.
Taiwan is my country.
Tsai is the President of the Republic of China. A democratic nation.
Jef Mabone TAIWAN REMAIN PARTEN PARCEL OF CHINA, NO ONE SHOULD HAVE POWER OVER THE ISLAND THAN BEIJINNG
Erens Natangwe Nakale Go trolling somewhere else. China is a clown country with illegal claims everywhere.
CHINA HAS NEVER GIVEN UP ITS RIGHTS TO TAWAIN AND CONSIDERS IT AS RIGHTFULLY JUST A PROVINCE OF CHINA AND WILL HAVE IT BACK IN THE FOLD WHENEVER THEY SEE FIT.–GET USED TO IT PEOPLE.
Jef Mabone not sure about liking China, but sure that 90% of world hate USA. We are waiting now to watch how Russians and Chinese will destroy EMPIRE OF EVIL
China ceded Formosa to Japan under duress in the Treaty of Shimonoseki, signed in 1895. At the end of WW2 the Potsdam Declaration renounced Japan’s control of Formosa and it was occupied by the Republic of China. China then booted out the KMT government in 1949.
That does not mean that Formosa ceased to be part of China.
Jef Mabone are you talking about the US
Erens Natangwe Nakale Taiwan is not a part of China. Soveriegnty was never transferred in a treaty post-WWII. Taiwan belongs to its people and no one else.
Low Ngee Kiat They came to Taiwan because they had guns and were in post-war occupation of Taiwan on the orders of a US general. No sovereignty was ever transterred. No treaty.
Soan Wah Lee China already maintained an illegal claim in the South China Sea that violates the rights of Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines and Taiwan.
There is no legal justification to China’s claims that it is a part of China. There was no ratified treaty following World War II that transferred the territory. Furthermore, under both traditional international law and the UN Charter, the people of Taiwan have the right to self-determination.
Taiwan was ceded to Japan in a treaty that was ratified by both sides. Potsdam is NOT a ratified document. Under international law, only ratified treaties can effectuate the transfer of sovereignty over territory. Furthermore, the UN Charter states that all territories detached from enemy states shall have the right to self-determination.
Erens Natangwe Nakale The People should be sovereign, not political parties and cabals that exploit the people like slaves. China has no respect for the individual in their tyrannical country. Not only should the Communist party not have power over Taiwan, the Communist party should not have power over mainland China.
And just how many ROC U-2 spyplanes were shot down over the PRC during the 1960’s? Or was that somehow… ‘different’?
…..but chjina has NO enimies….what are you talking about????
Phillip Nordt Was that sarcasm in your post?
Andrew Norrie KMT are refugees from China, after all.
Michael Linus Le Houllier Essentially an exiled community; self-imposed exile to boot.