Strategic bombers, aerial tankers part of ‘regular’ patrols near Taiwan, PLA says
- Long-range H-6Ks have carried out ‘countless’ operations near the island in recent years, air force spokesman says
- He made the remarks as two American warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday in ‘routine’ transit
PLA Air Force spokesman Senior Colonel Shen Jinke said the long-range strategic bombers had carried out “countless” operations near the island in recent years.
“The H-6Ks – along with other fighters, reconnaissance aircraft, early warning aircraft and [aerial] tankers – will continue to fulfil these missions,” Shen told reporters at an air force open day in Changchun, Jilin province on Sunday.
Shen also showed photos of H-6K bombers carrying out patrols over the Bashi Channel, the Miyako Strait, the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
The PLA Eastern Theatre Command said it was tracking the US Navy vessels, staying on high alert and “ready to thwart any provocation”.
It was the first American naval transit through the strait since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei early this month, angering Beijing and prompting large-scale PLA exercises around the island.
Beijing sees the self-governed island as part of its territory and has never ruled out the use of force to take control of it. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state, but Western governments are opposed to any attempt to take the island by force.
Mainland China has ramped up pressure on Taiwan in recent years, with the island’s defence ministry reporting frequent sorties by PLA aircraft – including H-6Ks – into its air defence identification zone in recent years.
With a combat range of more than 3,500km (2,200 miles), the H-6K is designed to carry long-range CJ-20 cruise missiles for attacks on land and sea targets as well as short-range missiles like the KD-63.
PLA runs new live drills near Taiwan in face of ‘changing’ situation
Sunday’s air force open day was held alongside the Changchun Air Show in the northeastern city, where the YU-20 aerial tanker – the refuelling variant of the Y-20 transport aircraft – made its public debut.
Shen said last month that the YU-20 was being used in combat-readiness training and would improve the long-range operational capabilities of other PLA warplanes – the first official announcement that the aerial tanker was taking part in drills. It was spotted on a PLA patrol near Taiwan for the first time in November.
Shen also said patrols by “multiple types” of warplanes around Taiwan had improved the PLA’s ability to safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
