As Taiwan prepares for anti-invasion exercises, PLA sends dozens of warplanes towards the island

The PLA sent 37 aircraft and 7 navy vessels around Taiwan between 6am on Friday and 6am on Saturday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said
Taiwan is due to hold its annual Han Kuang exercise next week, during which its military will hold combat readiness drills for preventing an invasion

Taiwan

Associated Press

Published: 6:00am, 23 Jul 2023

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Mainland China sent dozens of warplanes, including fighter jets and bombers, towards Taiwan, the island’s Defence Ministry said on Saturday, marking a forceful display days before the self-ruled island plans to hold military exercises aimed at defending itself against a possible invasion.

Taiwan is due to hold its annual Han Kuang exercise next week, during which its military will hold combat readiness drills for preventing an invasion. It will also conduct the annual Wan’an exercises aimed at preparing civilians for natural disasters and practising evacuations in case of an air raid.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) sent 37 aircraft and seven navy vessels around Taiwan between 6am on Friday and 6am on Saturday, the ministry said in a statement. Among them were J-10 and J-16 fighters and H-6 bombers, and 22 of the detected warplanes crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait – an unofficial boundary that had been considered a buffer between the island and mainland – or entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone near its southern part, the statement said.

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In recent years, mainland China has shown displeasure at political activities in Taiwan by stepping up the number of military planes sent towards the island.

In August, mainland China held huge military drills in response to former United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. It fired missiles over the island in a significant escalation that disrupted trade lanes in the Taiwan Strait and forced planes to divert flights.

In April, the PLA also held large-scale combat readiness drills in the air and sea around the island in response to Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen meeting with current US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.