TAIPEI: China sent dozens of warplanes, including fighter jets and bombers, towards Taiwan, the island’s Defence Ministry said on Saturday, marking a forceful display days before the democracy plans to hold military exercises aimed at defending itself against a possible invasion.
Taiwan is due to hold its annual Han Kuang exercise next week, during which its military will hold combat readiness drills for preventing an invasion. It will also conduct the annual Wan’an exercises aimed at preparing civilians for natural disasters and practising evacuations in case of an air raid.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army sent 37 aircraft and seven navy vessels around Taiwan between 6 am on Friday and 6 am on Saturday, the ministry said in a statement.
Among them were J-10 and J-16 fighters and H-6 bombers, and 22 of the detected warplanes crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait an unofficial boundary that had been considered a buffer between the island and mainland or entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone near its southern part, the statement said.
Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the ruling Communist Party in control of the mainland. The island has never been part of the People’s Republic of China, but Beijing says it must unite with the mainland.
In recent years, China has shown displeasure at political activities in Taiwan by stepping up the number of military planes sent towards the island.