Beijing sent a total of 24 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone on Thursday, This was the third-largest incursion in the past two years of heightened tensions between the two countries. The aircrafts, including bombers, fighter jets, anti-submarine planes, airborne early warning and control planes entered as a cohort of 19 planes and a second grouping of 5 planes later in the day. They flew around the southern part of Taiwan.
Radio warnings were issued and air defense missile systems were deployed in response. The incursion was not within Taiwan’s sovereign airspace, but in the defined air defense identification zone. This incursion occurred a day after Taiwan submitted an application to enter the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact. China signaled opposition to Taiwan’s application. Some sort of incursion into Taiwan’s ADIZ has become an almost daily occurrence. Chinese President Xi Jinping has not ruled out military force to capture Taiwan in the conflict between the island and China, if necessary. The incursions have been stated to likely serve a few different purposes for China including demonstrating strength and gathering intelligence and skills to serve them in any conflict involving Taiwan.
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