10 China planes enter Taiwan's air zone, 17th day of intrusions in March

Ten Chinese warplanes entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday, the 17th day of such intrusions in March alone.

Air defence identification zones are early warning systems that help countries detect incursions into their airspace.

Any aircraft entering such an area is supposed to report its route and purpose to the "host" nation, though the zones are classified as international airspace and pilots are not legally bound to make such a notification.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft involved in the mission were four J-16 multirole fighters, four J-10 multirole fighters, one Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane and one KJ-500 airborne early warning and control plane, Focus Taiwan reported citing the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

On Friday, 20 Chinese warplanes entered ADIZ, a day after Taipei and Washington signed an accord to strengthen maritime cooperation.

Taiwanese premier Su Tseng-change had termed the incursion by Chinese warplanes into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADZ) as "unnecessary" and "thoughtless."

China has threatened that "Taiwan's independence" means war.

Wu Qian, spokesperson of China's Ministry of National Defence, on January 28 "warned" the people wanting "Taiwan independence" and had said that "those who play with fire will set themselves on fire, and seeking 'Taiwan independence' means nothing but war".

According to an article by The Global Times, a Chinese state media, Taiwan's "mainland affairs council" has warned that any of the mainland's words and deeds that deliberately provoke Taiwan's bottom line may cause far-reaching effects that the mainland cannot bear.

Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.

Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing.