HomeTop NewsWorldTaipei activates air defense missile system after 6 Chinese jets enter Taiwan's...

Taipei activates air defense missile system after 6 Chinese jets enter Taiwan’s airspace

Published on

As US lawmakers’ visit to Taipei irked China, Beijing sent six military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) prompting the Taiwanese military to deploy air defense missile system.

As a group of US legislators visited the self-ruled island in a show of support that Beijing denounced as “deliberately provocative,” China said it staged military maneuvers surrounding the island.

Chinese aircraft passed over the waters southwest of the island, according to the Taiwan authorities. J-11 and J-16 multifunctional jets took part in the maneuver. Taiwanese armed forces responded by broadcasting radio warnings and deploying air defense missile systems.

The Chinese military dispatched frigates, bombers, and fighter planes to the East China Sea and the area surrounding Taiwan on Friday, the People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement made during a news conference in Taipei by US legislators.

“This operation is in response to the recent frequent release of wrong signals by the United States on the Taiwan issue,” it said, without mentioning the visiting US delegation.

“The US bad actions and tricks are completely futile and very dangerous. Those who play with fire will burn themselves,” it said.

In a separate statement, China’s Defence Ministry said the US visit was “deliberately provocative” and had “led to further escalation of tension in the Taiwan Strait”.

Six US senators met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday morning, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The two-day visit, which was previously undisclosed, occurred as tensions between Beijing and Washington have risen over China’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Since the dispute erupted in late February, China has maintained a neutral public stance, asking nations to support efforts to end the conflict but rejecting pressure from Washington and its European allies to criticize Russia.

US President Joe Biden cautioned his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping of “consequences” if Beijing assisted Russia in its invasion, and senior Biden administration officials encouraged Beijing to increase pressure on Moscow to end the war.

Taiwan, on the other hand, has long been a topic of controversy between the United States and China, which considers self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes official relations between Taiwan’s government and other foreign governments.

Image Credit: Getty

Latest articles

Here’s How and When Mount Everest-sized ‘Devil Comet’ Can Be Seen With Naked Eye

Mount Everest sized Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "devil comet" which is making its...

Something Fascinating Happened When a Giant Quantum Vortex was Created in Superfluid Helium

Scientists created a giant swirling vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the...

The Science of Middle-aged Brain and the Best Thing You Can Do to Keep it Healthy, Revealed

Middle age: It is an important period in brain aging, characterized by unique biological...

Science Shock: Salmon’s Food Choices Better at Reducing Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke

Salmon: Rich in Health Benefits, Yet May Offer Less Nutritional Value - This is...

More like this

Here’s How and When Mount Everest-sized ‘Devil Comet’ Can Be Seen With Naked Eye

Mount Everest sized Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "devil comet" which is making its...

Something Fascinating Happened When a Giant Quantum Vortex was Created in Superfluid Helium

Scientists created a giant swirling vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the...

The Science of Middle-aged Brain and the Best Thing You Can Do to Keep it Healthy, Revealed

Middle age: It is an important period in brain aging, characterized by unique biological...