China sends record 28 military flights into Taiwan ADIZ in one day: a response to G7 summit statement?
The People’s Republic of China made 28 military aircraft incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) today, June 15, a record number that follows an ‘unprecedented’ communique from the Group of Seven that highlighted the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait just two days ago.
The G7 communique issued June 13 reiterated the importance of maintaining a free and open Indo Pacific, and mentioning Taiwan for the first time in the group’s history, stated “We underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.”
“We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas, and strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo and increase tensions,” the communique stated.
While past statements about Taiwan-China affairs by individual representatives of various democratic nations have made China angry, the mention of Taiwan and cross-strait issues in a joint statement by the group of the world’s seven wealthiest democratic nations, sent Chinese Communist Party officials into an apoplectic frenzy.
The Chinese Embassy in London responded on Monday by decrying “wanton smearing of China and blatant interference in its internal affairs,” according to a statement posted on its website, reported Newsweek. While Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said today, Tuesday, that the G7’s statement was an attempt to form a “clique” to suppress China’s development.
The People’s Liberation Army’s response was also seen today with a total of 28 aircraft not just making incursions across the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, but sending planes across the Bashi Channel and hooking into Taiwan’s southeast ADIZ in an “obvious attack formation,” as United Daily News described it.
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) described the sorties as consisting of one Y-8 anti-submarine, one Y-8 electronic warfare, four H-6, two KJ-500, fourteen J-16, and six J-11 aircraft.
The air force dispatched air patrol troops to respond, broadcast radio warnings, and engaged anti-aircraft missile tracking and monitoring systems, the MND said.
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