China launches record number of warplanes into Taiwan’s airspace in the largest incursion show

In its largest incursion attempt this year, the Air Force of the People’s Republic of China (PLAAF) on Monday launched a large number of its warplanes including fighter jets, heavy bombers, maritime ASW planes and AEW&C aircraft into the Southwest area of Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). According to the statement of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence — In fresh PLAAF’s drill, a fleet of 25 PLA Air Force aircraft comprising one KJ-500 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) plane, four H-6K nuclear-capable bombers, 14 J-16 and 4 J-10 combat jets and two KQ-200 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, entered the southwest segment of the island.

Further, the Taiwanese defence ministry said the island deployed its air assets and sensors network in response to intercept the  Chinese incursion, and to monitor PLAAF’s fleet movements. “Air force sent its air patrol force to shadow them, issued radio warnings and deployed missiles to monitor their movements,” informed Taiwan’s defence ministry in a statement.

The Chinese aerial drill over Taiwan Strait took place a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned the Mainland rulers over seizing Democratic Taiwan, which the Chinese Communist Party regards as a sovereign province of the PRC. In an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press program, Blinken affirmed, “What we’ve seen, and what is of real concern to us, is increasingly aggressive actions by the government in Beijing directed at Taiwan, it would be a serious mistake for anyone to try to change the existing status quo by force.”

This year alone the self-ruled island of Taiwan has recorded massive incursion activities by PLAAF’s warplanes. According to local media, the Chinese Air Force, this month, launched aerial incursions into Taiwan’s air defence zone on a daily basis.

Earlier this month, the US State Department also issued new guidelines which are focused to deepen relations with the Chinese-claimed island. Under new guidelines, the US officials will now be able to meet more freely with their Taiwanese counterparts. This might be a supplementary motive behind China’s intensified aerial incursions over Taiwan airspace to signal to the world and especially USA that China retains sovereignty over the island nation . The mainland considers Taiwan as a breakaway territory and has already warned US administration over growing diplomatic and military support being provided to Taipei.