On the same day that Russia attacked Ukraine, Taiwan’s air force scrambled again on Thursday to warn away nine Chinese aircraft that approached its air defence identification zone, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry. Over the previous two years, Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained of regular such operations by the Chinese air force, despite the fact that the planes never approach close to Taiwan.
The latest mission, according to the ministry, featured eight Chinese J-16 fighters and one Y-8 observation aircraft flying over an area northeast of Taiwan’s Pratas Islands at the South China Sea’s upper end.
Taiwanese fighter were ordered to warn Chinese planes, and air defense missiles were deployed to “watch the actions,” according to the ministry, which used conventional language to describe Taiwan’s response.
According to Reuters, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying downplayed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s concerns that failing to back Ukraine’s independence could have global ramifications, especially for Taiwan.
“Taiwan is not Ukraine,” Hua stated in Beijing. “Taiwan has traditionally been considered an integral part of China. This is a legally and historically irrefutable fact.”
On the other hand, Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, recently cautioned that “if we permit the use of force to change the status quo, it would have an influence on Asia as well.” He was also insinuating that Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, had acted aggressively.
