TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Four Chinese military planes intruded on Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Thursday (May 20), including two fighter-bombers, which breached the median line, as the nation grappled with a surge in COVID-19 cases.
On Thursday afternoon, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced that one Y-8 electronic warfare plane and one Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft penetrated into the southwest corner of Taiwan's ADIZ, while two Xian JH-7 fighter-bombers crossed the Taiwan Strait median line. This marks the first time that China has sent JH-7 fighter-bombers into Taiwan's ADIZ since Feb. 23, the first fighter or bomber to encroach on the zone in the month of May, and the first median line incursion this year.
On May 10, Taiwan reported three local coronavirus cases; however, within one week, the daily local case count exploded to 333. During that period, China alternated sending one to two Y-8 planes to the area, but Thursday broke the pattern with the appearance of the two JH-7s.
As is normally the case, the MND stated that it responded by sending air patrol aircraft, issuing radio warnings, and activating its air defense missile systems. There was no explanation from Beijing as to why it had dispatched fighter-bombers to Taiwan's ADIZ as it deals with a health crisis.
On Sept. 21 of 2020, Beijing suddenly denied the existence of the median line in the Taiwan Strait, despite the fact that there has been a tacit agreement in place not to cross the line since 1955. In the fall of that year, People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft crossed the median line on a few occasions and entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
Red arrow shows where JH-7 fighter-bombers crossed median line. (MND image)
