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PLA jets on sovereignty mission in test of Taiwanese boundary: analyst
- In an apparent first, mainland aircraft near the island’s contiguous zone on the weekend
- Some observers say warplanes have ventured even closer – a suggestion disputed by others
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Amber Wangin Beijing
Eight PLA jets approached Taiwan’s 24-nautical-mile-boundary on the weekend, a manoeuvre meant to reinforce Beijing’s claims of sovereignty over the island, mainland Chinese observers said.
Taiwan’s military detected 19 People’s Liberation Army aircraft near the island on Saturday, including eight that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and neared the island’s 24-nautical-mile limit, or contiguous zone, according to Taiwanese defence ministry.
A contiguous zone is an area beyond the 12-nautical-mile territorial waters limit in which an authority claims the right to prevent breaches of its laws.
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The median line is an unofficial dividing line in the strait, and Beijing has repeatedly sent warplanes to cross the line since August, when former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island.
This appeared to be the first time the Taiwanese authorities had revealed PLA warplanes going so close to the island but some observers said similar manoeuvres – some even closer – had occurred before.
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“This is not unusual,” said Fu Qianshao, a retired PLA equipment expert from Beijing.
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