Taiwan denounced the incursion of 13 Chinese fighter jets

Taiwan reported that thirteen Chinese fighter jets exceeded the Air Defense Identification Zone 

The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense reported that thirteen Chinese fighter jets surpassed the Taiwanese Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Saturday night, the highest number in a single day so far this year.

According to a statement from the Taiwanese ministry, it is a Y-8 anti-submarine plane, eight Xian H-6K bombers and four Shenyang J-16 fighter jets.

“These intrusions led the Taiwan Air Force to respond with appropriate and effective measures.”said the ministry, which went through sending fighters to monitor Chinese military aircraft, issue radio warnings and mobilize air defense assets until they finally left the ADIZ.

According to the state agency CNA, the number of incursions by Chinese military aircraft has increased in recent months.

In October last year, at least 19 Chinese military aircraft entered the Taiwanese ADIZ while in September Chinese J-16 fighters crossed the middle line of the Taiwan Strait.

Tensions between Beijing and Taipei increased considerably during the term of former US President Donald Trump, who prioritized strengthening relations with Taiwan, including arms sales, despite the fact that in 1979 Washington broke off relations with Taipei, which became in informal, after recognizing the People’s Republic.

The flags of Taiwan and the United States at a meeting between officials from both countries 

Taiwan is considered a sovereign territory with its own government and political system under the name of the Republic of China since the end of the civil war between nationalists and communists in 1949, but Beijing maintains that it is a rebel province and insists that it return to what it is. called common homeland.

China threatened a “counterattack” against a US move to lift restrictions on official contacts with Taiwan as military tensions mount between Beijing and the self-governing island.

Former US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo announced in early January that Washington would lift “complex internal restrictions” on contacts with Taipei. by diplomats, after a year of Growing friction between the United States and China over issues such as human rights, trade, and the origins of the covid-19 pandemic.

The Chinese regime says that Taiwan is an inviolable part of China that must be claimed, by force if necessary, and opposes any diplomatic recognition of the democratic island.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Zhao Lijian, said Beijing “strongly condemns” the measure and accused the United States of violating the terms of Washington’s diplomatic relations with Beijing.

“Any action that damages China’s core interests will receive a determined counterattack from China”Zhao warned, urging Pompeo to retract the decision or face “severe punishment.”

It was unclear what the change means in practice, and Pompeo said the executive branch’s communications with Taiwan will be handled by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which is Property of the United States government and serves as the de facto embassy.