Taiwan reports largest daily incursion by Chinese Air Force

Taipei, Taiwan: Taiwan is witnessing incursions for a year now. On Tuesday Taiwan saw the largest daily incursion as 28 Chinese military planes flew into the country’s Air Defence Identified Zones (ADIZ).

Flights — which included fighter jets, bombers, and anti-submarine and early warning aircraft — surpassed the previous peak of 25 planes reported on April 12.

Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, even though the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.

While there was no immediate comment from Beijing on the incident, this happens after the Group of Seven leaders issued a joint statement on Sunday scolding China for a series of issues and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait — comments China condemned as “slander.”

Taiwan has complained in recent months of repeated missions by China’s air force near the island, concentrated in the southwestern part of its air defense zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.

Tensions in the Taiwan Strait are escalating. China ramped up political pressure and military threats against Taiwan, with almost daily incursions into Taipei’s air defence identification zone.

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.