Two jets from China enter Taiwan's air defense identification zone

Two Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker jets from China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Saturday, according to the Ministry of National Defense.

The incursions occurred at 8:53 a.m. and 1:23 p.m. (local time) respectively, both times at an altitude of 9,800 meters northeast of Dongsha Island in the southwest sector of the ADIZ, Taiwan News reported.

It further reported that in both cases, the jets turned back after Taiwan's military sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track them.

While the intrusions were the first since Thursday (April 28), they marked the 25th day in April with PLAAF incursions, which totaled 72 for the month. In 2022 so far, there have been 78 days with ADIZ incursions by a total of 348 Chinese aircraft, Taiwan News reported.

An ADIZ is an area that extends beyond a country's airspace where air traffic controllers ask incoming aircraft to identify themselves.

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