TAIWAN: A cumbersome weapons payload carrying Chinese combat drones has been circling Taiwan, as per the defence ministry of the island. This TB 001 drone was a part of the 19 military aircraft that had made its way through the island’s defence identification zone in the past day.
It toured Taiwan, first heading over the Bashi Channel that separates it from the Philippines, then up the eastern portion of Taiwan, before ultimately flying back over the channel towards the Chinese side. Even though the People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA) periodically utilises aircraft in Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ), whole circuits of the island are highly unusual.
According to the Chinese state media, the TB 001 was called the “twin-tailed scorpion”. It was shown with images that had missiles placed under its wings specifying that it had the intensity of high-altitude missions that demand a better range. The H-6 bomber was used by China in its “island encirclement” actions.
Chinese aircraft have been away from Taiwan’s airspace with no hints of shots being fired. The big region Taiwan monitors, and patrols, ADIZ provides a lot of time for threat response.
In an attempt to persuade Taipei to acknowledge Beijing’s claims to autonomy, China has increased its military pressure on Taiwan, which is administered democratically, over the past three decades. The Taiwanese government opposes joining China and claims that the future of the island belongs to its residents exclusively.
China conducted war experiments this month near Taiwan after Tsai Ing-wen, the president of Taiwan, met with Kevin McCarthy, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, in Los Angeles.
Besides Thursday’s group of fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft, the Taiwan ministry also inspected six PLA ships, but they did not give locations. It mentioned, however, that vessels that belonged to the navy, defence aircraft and missile systems on land were all “tasked in response.”
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