Thirty Chinese People’s Liberation Army warplanes on Monday entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, representing a major escalation in China-Taiwan tensions, the island democracy’s defense ministry reported.
The ministry said the planes, two-thirds of which were fighters, entered the southwestern corner of the zone. While the air defense identification zone is outside Taiwan’s airspace, Taiwanese air traffic controllers ask planes in the zone to identify themselves, Republic World reported.
The incursion was the largest since Beijing in January sent 39 planes into the zone. The Chinese Communist regime has increased its aggressive actions toward Taiwan since Russian president Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.
The Monday incursion came one week after the White House walked back President Joe Biden’s comment that the United States would “get involved militarily to defend Taiwan” in case of a Chinese attack.