Chinese Military Deploys 22 Fighter Planes and 6 Warships to Taiwan Border
Beijing - China deployed 22 warplanes and six warships to the region around Taiwan starting at 17.00 on Sunday. According to the Ministry of National Defense (MND) in Taipei, 10 of Beijing's 22 warplanes broke through the center line of the Taiwan Strait.
The 10 aircraft consist of four Sukhoi SU-30 fighter jets, two Chengdu J-10 fighter jets, two Shenyang J-11 fighter jets and two Shenyang J-16 fighter jets. According to MND, the 10 warplanes had breached the southwestern part of Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
In response, Taiwan is monitoring the situation by patrolling fighter aircraft, Navy ships and activating land-based missile systems. The center line of the Taiwan Strait was previously treated as an unofficial border on both sides of the strait.
Breaking that line represents a more aggressive posture than Beijing's frequent sorties on Taipei's ADIZ over the past two years.
China has been making similar deployments every day since Aug. 4, when it launched live-fire military drills in six maritime zones around Taiwan. The maneuver came just after United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi concluded a 19-hour visit to Taiwan on August 3, 2022.