Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it had spotted 37 Chinese military aircraft around the island, moving toward the “western Pacific” to engage a new Chinese aircraft carrier as part of exercises. As it clarified in its statement, the “37 Chinese aircraft” detected included fighters, bombers and drones. Thirty-six of the 37 crossed the median line that divides the 180-km-wide Taiwan Strait between the island and mainland China.
According to the same source, they were heading to the “Western Pacific”, where the aircraft carrier Shandong is located, “as part of naval and air exercises”.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to reunify the island, which has a separate government, with the mainland. Beijing has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taipei in recent years and in May staged large-scale demonstrations at high schools across Taiwan following the inauguration of new President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing describes as a “dangerous separatist.”
A day earlier, Japan announced that four Chinese navy ships, including the new aircraft carrier Shandong, were sailing about 520 kilometers southeast of Miyako Island and that sightings and observations of fighter jets and helicopters had been reported.
The Chinese “Type 2” aircraft carrier – based on the Russian Kuznetsov design – is generally capable of carrying around 36 aircraft.
Sources: APE-MPE, AFP