World News| Chinese military holds large-scale military exercises against Taiwan

Taipei [Taiwan]Jan. 9 (ANI): China conducted its first major military exercise of the year in Taiwan on Sunday, sending 28 aircraft over the center line of the Taiwan Strait, CNN reported, citing Taiwan’s Defense Ministry.

According to the ministry, the 57 aircraft spotted near Taiwan included 28 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft. They also include J-10, J-11, J-16 and Su-30 fighter jets, H-6 bomber, three unmanned aerial vehicles and an early warning and reconnaissance aircraft.

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Taiwan’s navy ships, aircraft and land-based missile systems are on alert in response to a Chinese incursion, Taiwan’s defense ministry said.

A chart provided by the ministry showed PLA planes flying over Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) south of the island, crossing the center line seven times from north to south before heading slightly east-northeast, according to CNN.

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The Chinese military said in a statement online on Sunday that troops conducted live-combat exercises around Taiwan.

Focusing on subjects such as land and sea assaults, the exercise aims to test the joint combat capabilities of the troops and resolutely crack down on the collusion and provocations of external forces and “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. The PLA’s Eastern Theater Command posted on the state-run China Military Online, according to CNN.

According to Taiwanese news reports, as many as 24 Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels breached Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Jan. 2.

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 24 Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around Taiwan between 6am on Saturday (December 31) and 6am on Sunday (January 1).

Taiwan uses aircraft, naval vessels, and land-based missile systems to monitor People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and ships, according to Taiwanese news reports.

Four Shenyang J-11 fighters, four Chengdu J-10 fighters and four Shenyang J-16 fighters crossed the center line.

At the same time, a Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine fighter, a Harbin BZK-005 reconnaissance plane and a BZK-007 reconnaissance plane were detected in the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.

Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by regularly sending aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ.

Although it has never had jurisdiction over it, China views Taiwan as a democratically administered island of 24 million people as part of its territory.

It has long pledged to use force if necessary to “unify” the island with mainland China. (Arnie)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)