Taiwan has spotted 37 Chinese fighter jets around the island

From 5am local time on Thursday (11pm in Paris), “A total of 37 Chinese fighter jets” Entered — within six hours — the Air Defense Identification Zone (or ADIZ, for Air Defense Identification Zone(in English) Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang announced on Thursday, June 8. “Some continued to the western Pacific for long-range reconnaissance.”He noted.

The ADIZ is a large area unilaterally defined by countries within which, for reasons of national security, foreign aircraft must identify themselves. But relations between Beijing and Taipei, at their lowest since Xi Jinping came to power ten years ago, have further deteriorated in recent years, and China has stepped up military incursions around the island.

Patrol aircraft, warships and land-based missiles have been deployed

Since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, China has viewed Taiwan as a province that has not been successfully reunited with the rest of its territory, and Beijing aims for that reunification — by force if necessary.

Although there haven’t been a large number of Chinese incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ this year — 45 Chinese aircraft entered it on April 9 — Thursday’s wave occurred in a very short period of time.

Taiwan Army “Monitor the situation closely”, The ministry said on TwitterPatrol aircraft, warships and land-based missile systems have retaliated.

Thursday’s incursions come a day after the first joint US-Japanese-Philippine coast guard exercises in the South China Sea.