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| Chinese warships attack Taiwan |
Taiwan - Taiwan on Sunday reported China's biggest attack since October. The attack was carried out by the Chinese Air Force on an air defense zone belonging to Taiwan. The island's defense ministry said Taiwanese fighters rushed to alert 39 planes in the escalation of tensions. China's claimed Taiwan has been complaining for more than a year because of China's air force. Taiwan calls China's repeated military activity nearby a gray zone and is designed to undermine Taiwan's power.
Taiwan's ministry said China's latest mission included 34 warplanes plus 4 electronic warfare planes and one bomber. The plane was flying in the northeastern area of the Pratas area. The ministry also said Taiwan sent warplanes to warn Chinese aircraft, while missile systems were deployed to monitor them.
China has in the past said such measures were exercises aimed at protecting the country's sovereignty. It remains unclear what prompted China to undertake such a large-scale mission. US and Japanese naval forces have been conducting drills in the Philippine Sea, a vast area that includes waters east of Taiwan.
On Sunday, the US Pacific Fleet said the exercise included two carrier groups conducting training to preserve and protect the free and open Indo Pacific. China continues to increase pressure on Taiwan to accept its sovereignty claims. Taiwan has said it wants peace but will defend itself if attacked.
Since October, Taiwan has reported nearly daily the Chinese Air Force's entry into the airspace south and southwest of its defense zone. However, the number of aircraft on Sunday, January 23, 2022 was the highest.
No shots were fired and the Chinese plane was not flying in Taiwanese airspace, but rather in its ADIZ. Taiwan seeks to monitor the wider area and act to respond to any Chinese threats.