Taiwan's military scrambles jets after detecting 39 Chinese warplanes
J-20 stealth fighter jets in Zhuhai in the Guangdong Province of China last year. Photo: Chen Jimin/China News Service via Getty Images
Taiwan's defense force said 39 Chinese warplanes flew into its Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Sunday.
Why it matters: The largest Chinese air force incursion into the zone since October came a day after the U.S. and Japanese navies conducted a joint exercise in the Philippine Sea.
- While China's government did not immediately comment on the latest deployment of aircraft near Taiwan, the Chinese military sent a record 145 fighter planes to the ADIZ last October after the U.S. conducted a joint naval exercise near Okinawa, Japan.
Details: Taiwan's defense force said in a statement China's military sent 34 fighters, four electronic warfare aircraft and a bomber to the ADIZ on Sunday.
- The self-governing island's military scrambled its own jets, issued radio warnings and activated air defense missile systems in response, per the statement.
What they're saying: A State and Defense departments expressed concern in an emailed joint statement on Monday about the Chinese government's "provocative military activity near Taiwan" and stressed the U.S. commitment to Taiwan.
- They called the Chinese military activity "destabilizing," adding it "risks miscalculation, and undermines regional peace and stability."
- The U.S. Navy said in a statement Saturday that its warships exercise with Japan's military was about "conducting training to preserve and protect a free and open Indo-Pacific region."
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from the State and Defense departments.