Oct. 5 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Taiwanese authorities have reported this Wednesday that the Armed Forces have registered the deployment of 33 planes and four ships of the Chinese Army in the vicinity of the island.
The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense has indicated that as of 5:00 p.m. (local time), the Taiwanese forces have warned of the deployment in the maritime and air space near Taiwan, as indicated in a statement.
Thus, he explained that nine of the planes have crossed the so-called “middle line” of the Taiwan Strait, including four J-11 fighters, four J-16s and a Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft.
Taiwan has, for its part, sent an air patrol to monitor the situation and has issued several radio warnings. In addition, it has deployed anti-aircraft missile systems. Defense Minister Chiu Kuo Cheng has stated that Taipei will take action if the Chinese military crosses the “red line.”
In this regard, he stressed that the “infiltration of Chinese warplanes” into the island’s airspace would be considered a “first attack”, although he did not clarify what measures Taiwan could take in retaliation.
The tension between the parties has worsened as a result of the visit to the island of the president of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, last August. Beijing condemned her visit, which she understood as a sign of support for the island’s independence forces.
