20+ PLA Jets Cross Median Line Over Taiwan Strait As Chinese Drills Encircle Island
20+ PLA Jets Cross Median Line Over Taiwan Strait As Chinese Drills Encircle Island
Zero Hedge
WEDNESDAY, AUG 03, 2022 - 03:57 PM
Update(9:57ET): Less than a half-day after Nancy Pelosi's departure from Taiwan on a US Air Force plane, a large group of 27 Chinese PLA planes breached Taiwan's air defense identification zone Wednesday, crucially with at least 22 of the aircraft reported as having crossed the Taiwan Strait "median line".
A map posted to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense showed the brief crossovers by the PLA jets. In response, the ministry said it issued radio warnings and readied air defense missile systems to monitor the activities. Taiwan previously said it won't hesitated to deploy its armed forces to thwart "enemy threats". Already as Pelosi's plane was inbound yesterday from Malaysia Chinese planes and ships had buzzed the median line, which demarcates what the self-ruled island deems its own territorial waters.
"27 PLA aircraft (J-11*6, J-16*5 and SU-30*16) entered the surrounding area of R.O.C. on August 3, 2022," Taiwan's military wrote in official social media posts. Earlier in the day state-run English language PRC mouthpiece Global Times declared that Beijing now views the median line has having ceased to exist.
"The exercises are unprecedented as the PLA conventional missiles are expected to fly over the island of Taiwan for the first time, the PLA forces will enter area within 12 nautical miles of the island and that the so-called median line will cease to exist," the publication wrote while detailing the next phase of PLA drills to surround the island.
PLA drills encircling Taiwan (source: Bloomberg Graphics):
Taiwan's military has since confirmed breaches of its territorial waters and airspace above "by force" as the PLA continues its threatening tactics...
To review of the latest via Chinese media outlet Global Times:
- The PLA drills around Taiwan island are unprecedented
- conventional missiles are expected to fly over the island for the 1st time
- PLA forces will enter area within 12 nautical miles to the island
- "median line" ceases to exist
