Taiwan dispatches air patrol troops as China continues intrusion into its airspace

 In a latest  intrusion by China amidst an altering status quo in the Indo-Pacific, a Chinese military aircraft, Saturday, breached Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). Taipei, in an online statement, said that Saturday’s attack marked the ninth straight day of Chinese intrusions, highlighting that one People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ. Meanwhile, in a retaliatory measure, the Taiwanese Defence Forces deployed an air defence missile system to track the Chinese plane and also broadcasted radio warnings.   

"Dispatch air patrol troops to respond, broadcast dismissal, and anti-aircraft missile tracking and monitoring. CAP aircraft tasked, radio warnings issued and air defence missile systems deployed to monitor the activity," an update of Taiwanese military read. 

Notably, China sees democratic Taiwan as a breakaway province, but the island of 24 million people claims sovereignty. The grey-zone air intrusions are a common tactic used by Beijing to coerce China into accepting its authority. Since mid-September, the interference has multiplied with most turboprop aircraft being sent to the southwest. Notably, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) marked the 100th year of its foundation on July 1, President Xi Jinping vowed complete unification of China. 

19 jets enter Air Defence Identification Zone

In a tweet, the Taiwanese defence ministry informed that 19 Chinese jets that entered the Taiwan air defence zone on 5 September included one Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft, four H-6, 10 J-16 and four Su Kai-30 aircraft. As soon as the Taiwanese Air Force detected Chinese aircraft activities, they dispatched their air patrol troops to respond to them. Furthermore, the ministry said that it has deployed an anti-missile system that is monitoring Chinese activity.

China claims sovereign rights over the pacific island located roughly 100 miles from its coast and has been using carrots and sticks to make its democratically elected government surrender. Speaking at the celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on 1 July, President Xi Jinping vowed for complete reunification of the motherland, fuelling fears of a possible annexation of the pacific island by Beijing.

Taipei, on the other hand, has reiterated that it was an independent entity. The US, meanwhile, has reacted to Beijing's pressure campaign with testy words and hardline policies -- prompting its ally Japan, which has key trade relationships with both world powers, to eye the situation with caution.

Image: AP