TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 66 Chinese warplanes and 14 warships around Taiwan as of 5 p.m. on Sunday (Aug. 7).
Of the 66 People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft, 12 crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait, including eight Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets and four Shenyang J-11 fighter planes. Meanwhile, six Shenyang J-16 fighter planes, three Xian H-6 bombers, and one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), per the MND.
In response, Taiwan scrambled combat patrol aircraft, broadcast radio warnings, and deployed missile defense systems to track the Chinese military aircraft and warships.
China had originally announced it would be carrying out four days of live-fire drills in six maritime zones from Aug. 4-7 as retaliation for U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last week. However, on Sunday, Chinese state-run media claimed that from now on it will conduct “regular” drills east of the Taiwan Strait median line, Reuters reported.
Flight paths of 22 out of 66 Chinese planes on Aug. 7. (MND image)
