Taiwan Warns Off Intruding Chinese Aircraft for Fourth Time in 9 Days

TAIPEI—Taiwan jets on Wednesday again had to warn off Chinese air force aircraft that approached the island, Taiwan’s military said, the fourth such encounter in nine days as China steps up its activity near the island.

The Chinese J-10, a fighter plane, and Y-8, a propeller aircraft often used for surveillance missions, entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone around midday (0400GMT) to the southwest of the island, Taiwan’s air force said.

Patrolling Taiwanese fighters gave a verbal warning to the Chinese aircraft to leave, whereupon they “immediately left” the air defense identification zone, the air force said in a brief statement.

“At present the situation is normal,” it added, without giving further details.

Since June 9, China’s air force has flown at least three other similar missions, and were each time chased off by Taiwanese jets, according to Taiwan’s military.

An F-16V fighter jet lands on the freeway in Changhua county, central Taiwan, during the 35th Han Kuang drill on May 28, 2019. (Sam Yeh/AFP/Getty Images)

Taiwan has complained that China, which claims the democratic island as its own, has stepped up military activities in recent months, menacing Taiwan even as the world deals with the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic.

China has not commented publicly on the recent Chinese air force activity near Taiwan. Beijing routinely says such exercises are nothing unusual and are designed to show the country’s determination to defend its sovereignty.

China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. One of China’s most senior generals last month said China would attack if there was no other way of stopping Taiwan becoming independent.

Beijing warns US Navy flight over Taiwan was 'extremely dangerous' Defense ministry spokesman cries foul over US Navy flight above 'Chinese territory'

By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer 2020/06/16 10:30

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Nearly a week after a U.S. Navy C-40a was spotted flying directly over Taiwan, China's Ministry of National Defense warned that it was "extremely dangerous" for the U.S. military to fly over Chinese "territory."

On June 9, a U.S. Navy Boeing C-40a Clipper was detected flying directly over northern and western Taiwan by aircraft spotting sites. The flight was unusual because it was the first time a U.S. military aircraft had been spotted directly over Taiwan since two Marine F-18s landed at Tainan Air Force Base for repairs in 2015.

In apparent retaliation that same day, China dispatched several Sukhoi-30 (Su-30) fighter jets to fly over the southwestern part of Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). The next day (June 10), China's state-run mouthpiece the Global Times wrote: "The US warplane's rare flight over Taiwan showed the increasing collaboration between the US military and Taiwan secessionists, and the Chinese mainland's fighter jet sorties and approaches sent them a powerful warning and demonstrated how much the PLA [People's Liberation Army] was determined and prepared for war."

On June 11, China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) initially responded by saying that the U.S. jet had "harmed our sovereignty, security and development rights and contravened international law and the basic norms of international relations," reported VOA. It then described the action as illegal and "seriously provocative."

This week, Ministry of National Defense spokesman Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang on Monday condemned the U.S. for not first "obtaining permission from China before flying over its territory," according to China Daily. Ren then described the incident as "extremely erroneous and dangerous."

He echoed last week's TAO statement by calling for the U.S. to end to all "provocative actions against China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," which Ren said he was confident the PLA can defend.

Ren then claimed to speak on behalf of Taiwanese by describing them as "compatriots" while pledging to protect their interests and "thwart any secessionist efforts."

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