Photo: Chinese and Taiwanese national flags are displayed alongside a military airplane in this illustration taken April 9, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
The largest-ever incursion by Chinese forces into Taiwan's air-defence zone has been reported by Taiwanese authorities.
The island nation sharply criticised the incursion and stated that it would defend its territory.
The Taiwanese military says that 38 Chinese military aircraft arrived in two waves late last week and that this resulted in Taiwan scrambling aircraft and its air-defence systems being fully prepped for any attack. The first wave included 18 J-16 and four Su-30 fighter jets plus two nuclear-capable H-6 bombers and an anti-submarine aircraft, while the second had 10 J-16s, 2 H-6s.
The incident is said to have occurred near the Pratas island off the coast of Taiwan and in the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines.
Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang said:
"China has been wantonly engaged in military aggression, damaging regional peace."
The previous largest incursion by Chinese forces occurred last year and involved 28 aircraft.
Taiwan has been governed separately from China since the Chinese revolution in 1947 when the communists took control of mainland China. The nationalist forces retained control of Taiwan and have acted as an independent nation the 'Republic of China' ever since. However, Taiwan is not recognised by the international community or the United Nations as an independent country.
China has long claimed that Taiwan belongs with the rest of China and many fear that a Chinese invasion could one day occur. If such an event was to take place, the United States and NATO may decide to fight China to retain Taiwan's independence. Many analysts believe that if a third world war was to begin, it would likely begin as a result of China invading the nation. Other analysts believe that while China states it wishes to control Taiwan that it would never actually invade and that it would have far more to lose than to gain from doing so.
Taiwan itself has an extremely powerful army, mostly funded by the US, and any fighting between China and Taiwan would lead to vast casualties and destruction.
Last month the UK, Australia and the United States formed AUKUS, a military alliance that promises to combat Chinese aggression in the Asian arena.
[h/t: Reuters]
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