Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that hours after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left Taipei following a high-stakes visit, China sent 27 aircraft to the island country’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ).
As many as six J-11 fighter jets, five J-16 multirole fighters and 16 SU-30 multirole fighters entered the air defence zone.
“27 PLA aircraft (J-11*6, J-16*5 and SU-30*16) entered the surrounding area of R.O.C. on August 3, 2022,” Taiwan Defense Ministry tweeted.
In response to Chinese aggression, Taiwan sent an air patrol to monitor the situation, and also deployed anti-aircraft missile systems. Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan came to an end on Wednesday as she departed from the self-ruled island after a short and gripping trip that upped the ante in the Taiwan Strait.
The US House Speaker is second in line to the Oval Office after the US vice-president. She reaffirmed her country’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s democracy and said this trip in no way contradicts long standing United States policy on the self-governed island.
China, meanwhile, says Pelosi’s Taiwan visit was a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the joint communique signed between the two countries.
On Tuesday, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) announced missile tests and live firing as part of its military operations near Taiwan.
In the past, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ, with most occurrences taking place in the southwest corner. In 2021, Chinese military planes entered Taiwan’s ADIZ on 961 instances over 239 days.
