Space Travel News
TAIWAN NEWS
Taiwan detects 103 Chinese warplanes around island
China has year's of naval and air warfare training to catch up on, and in the process it conveniently ages Taiwan's aircraft as they respond to these now near continuous wargames around Taiwan.
Taiwan detects 103 Chinese warplanes around island
by AFP Staff Writers
Taipei (AFP) Sept 18, 2023

Taiwan told China on Monday to stop its "destructive unilateral actions" after more than 100 Chinese warplanes and nine navy ships were detected in areas around the self-ruled island.

Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory to be seized one day, and has ramped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taipei in recent years.

In the 24 hours between the morning of September 17 and 18, the defence ministry said it had detected a total of 103 Chinese planes, and it described the number as a "recent high".

In a statement, it said the sorties "posed severe challenges to the security across the Taiwan Strait and in the region."

Beijing's "continued military harassment can easily lead to a sharp escalation in tension and worsen regional security," the ministry said, as it called on China to "immediately stop such destructive unilateral actions."

Of the total number of warplanes detected, 40 crossed the so-called median line of the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from China, and entered its southwest and southeast air defence identification zone (ADIZ), the statement said.

China's foreign ministry did not comment on the sorties, though its spokeswoman Mao Ning reaffirmed Beijing's position that Taiwan belongs to China.

"What I would like to tell you is that Taiwan is part of China's territory, and the so-called median line does not exist," she said.

- 'High alert' -

Monday's announcement by Taipei came after an uptick in the number of incursions by Chinese warplanes and ships last week.

Beijing said last week its troops were on "high alert" after two ships belonging to the United States and Canada sailed through the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan's defence ministry said 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels were detected around the island between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning.

Some of those planes and warships were heading to an unspecified area of the Western Pacific to "conduct joint sea and air training" with China's Shandong aircraft carrier, the ministry said.

The Shandong, one of two operational aircraft carriers in the Chinese fleet, was detected last week around 60 nautical miles (110 kilometres) southeast of Taiwan heading into the Western Pacific, Taipei authorities said.

Japan's defence ministry also said last week its navy had detected six ships -- including frigates, destroyers, one fast combat support ship and the Shandong -- sailing through waters some 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Miyakojima island, east of Taiwan.

It confirmed that jets and helicopters had been detected taking off and landing from the Shandong, though China has not commented officially on any drills being conducted in the Western Pacific.

- 'Sacred part of China' -

Analysts said China could be flexing its muscles to counter US influence in the Asia-Pacific, as it leads multiple rounds of military drills with allies across the region.

"China aims to counter the military containment of democratic allies led by the United States," Su Tzu-yun, an analyst at Taiwan's Institute for National Defence and Security Research told AFP.

Following last August's visit to Taipei by Nancy Pelosi, then-speaker of the US House of Representatives, China staged its largest-ever war games around Taiwan.

Then in April this year, Beijing conducted a three-day "Joint Sword" military exercise to simulate the encirclement of the island, after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

In a comment on the Weibo social media platform, China's Global Times state tabloid said Taiwan was a "sacred and inalienable part of China."

"The People's Liberation Army's relevant combat training activities are necessary actions to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," it added, referring to China's military.

bur-aw/ser

Weibo

Related Links
Taiwan News at SinoDaily.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
TAIWAN NEWS
Taiwan slams Musk over comments; as 68 Chinese warplanes, 10 vessels detected
Taipei (AFP) Sept 14, 2023
Taiwan lashed out at the US tech billionaire Elon Musk on Thursday for "blindly flattering" Beijing after he called the self-ruled island "an integral part" of China. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory awaiting "reunification" and has intensified pressure since independence-leaning Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016. Musk drew Taipei's ire for comparing Taiwan to the US state of Hawaii in a podcast and calling the island "an integral part" of China. Musk "blindly ... read more

TAIWAN NEWS
TAIWAN NEWS
Another Martian Weekend" Sols 3943-3945

Sols 3936-3939: Double the Fun

China publishes new datasets obtained by Mars, lunar probes

NASA's completes Oxygen-Generating Experiment MOXIE

TAIWAN NEWS
NASA's LRO Observes Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site

A new study characterizes regular Moonquakes

Japan launches 'Moon Sniper' mission

Korean lunar space environment payload ships to US for 2024 launch

TAIWAN NEWS
Possible existence of Earth-like planet predicted in Outskirts of Solar System

SwRI will lead Hubble, Webb observations of Io, Jupiter's volcanic moon

In the service of planetary science, astrophysics and heliophysics

Mysterious Neptune dark spot detected from Earth for the first time

TAIWAN NEWS
On the road to spotting alien life

Scientists detect and validate the longest-period exoplanet found with TESS

New giant planet evidence of possible planetary collisions

Hot Jupiter blows its top

TAIWAN NEWS
Mini space thruster that runs on water

Rocket Lab signs deal with Leidos to launch 4 HASTE missions

The Vostochny cosmodrome: symbol of Moscow's struggling space sector

Musk biography describes troubled tycoon driven by demons

TAIWAN NEWS
Tianzhou 5 spacecraft burns up on Earth reentry

Crew of Shenzhou XV mission honored for six-month space odyssey

China solicits names for manned lunar exploration vehicles

From rice to quantum gas: China's targets pioneering space research

TAIWAN NEWS
OSIRIS-REx adjusts course to target sample capsule's landing zone

Lucy captures its first images of Asteroid Dinkinesh

Here's How Sept. 24 Asteroid Sample Delivery Will Work

Psyche on track for liftoff next month

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.