Taiwan: China sends dozens of fighter jets to military maneuvers

As part of its two-day military maneuver as “punishment” for Taiwan, China has sent the largest number of fighter jets so far this year towards the East Asian island republic. In the past 24 hours, 49 aircraft were registered near the island, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense announced in Taipei on Friday morning (local time).

According to the ministry, 35 of the aircraft flew over the median line in the strait between Taiwan and China (Taiwan Strait) and entered Taiwan’s air defense zone. In addition, 19 Chinese naval vessels and seven Chinese coast guard vessels were sighted.

China considers Taiwan its own territory

China began a large-scale military exercise off the coast of Taiwan on Thursday. The communist leadership in Beijing wants to use this exercise to warn the new Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te against striving for formal independence for Taiwan from China.

China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory, although independent and democratically elected governments have been in power there for decades. Beijing has already threatened several times to unite the island, which has a population of more than 23 million, and the mainland by military force.

According to its own statements, the Chinese military wants to use the maneuver to train combat readiness at sea and in the air, as well as to attack key targets. Ships and aircraft will approach Taiwan from the north, south and east for “patrols” and will also approach several islands, such as the island of Kinmen, which is only a few kilometers from the Chinese mainland. The Taiwan Strait is around 130 kilometers wide at its narrowest point.