China flew 39 warplanes toward Taiwan, making it the largest such shipment yet in the new year. The large sortie came among tensions over the future for the self-ruled island.
The Chinese warplane formation included 24 J-16 fighter jets and 10 J-10 jets, as well as additional support and electronic warfare aircraft.
The sortie came a day after the American and Japanese navies put on a huge show of their force in the Philippine Sea. The show’s flotilla included two U.S. amphibious assault ships, two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, and a Japanese helicopter destroyer. Also included in the exercises were two U.S. guided-missile cruisers and five destroyers.
China and Taiwan split apart during a 1949 civil war. China claims that it still has the right to own Taiwan as its own territory. China has continued to use the military as well as diplomatic means and pressure to isolate and intimidate Taiwan.
The U.S. has continued to support the self-ruled island by selling it advanced weapons as well as fighter planes.
A Chinese sortie towards Taiwan is not unusual. In fact, the sight has become incredibly common. Chinese warplane pilots have been flying at the country nearly every day over the past year and a half, which is when Taiwan’s government began publishing the data.
While Sunday nights marked the biggest in 2022, the largest one since being recorded was made up of 56 warplanes and took place in October 2021.
Tensions have been high between the two countries ever since Taiwan elected Tsai Ing-wen as president in 2016. Beijing’s response was to cut off all previously established communications with the Taiwanese government.
Before Tsai, the predecessor was friendly to China and had endorsed the country’s claim that the two are a part of a single Chinese country.
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