38 Chinese planes enter Taiwan's "Air Defense" zone
Taiwan's Ministry of Defense announces that dozens of Chinese military aircraft have entered its air defense zone and it is sending fighter planes to warn them.
The Taiwan Ministry of Defense announced that 38 Chinese military aircraft entered its "air defense" zone in two batches, on Friday, at a time when Beijing was celebrating the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Taiwan said it had sent fighter planes to warn the Chinese aircraft and deployed missile systems to monitor them.
In its turn, China has not yet commented on the Taiwanese announcement but has previously said that such overflights are "aimed at protecting the country's sovereignty" and are directed against what it described as "collusion" between Taiwan and the United States.
On September 1, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said that China's armed forces could "paralyze" Taiwan's defenses.
Earlier in June, Taiwan announced the largest incursion of Chinese fighters into its "air defense" zone.
The Taiwanese government, which China believes is seeking complete independence from it, stated that the 25 PLA planes involved in the daylight incursion included 18 J-16 fighters, four Su-30 fighters, two H-6 bombers, and one Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft.
China considers the island of Taiwan an integral part of its territory and thus has long sought to reincorporate it into the mainland.