China Deploys 56 J-16 Fighter Jets and Others in Swarm Sortie During National Day Holiday

56 Military Aircraft Invade Taiwan ADIZ in One Day on the 4th... Total 149 Aircraft Invade During Four-Day National Day Holiday
Ronald Reagan, Carl Vinson, and Queen Elizabeth Carrier Response Patrol Flights

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] A total of 56 military aircraft, including China's main fighter jet 'Jian-16 (J-16)', intruded into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), creating a highly tense situation. The incursion of 56 Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan's ADIZ in a single day is the largest and first of its kind in history.

As three US and UK aircraft carriers entered the South China Sea near the Bashi Channel, Chinese military aircraft appeared to have launched in swarms. During the Chinese National Day holiday (October 1?7), the Taiwan Strait resembled a battlefield.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

China's state-run Global Times cited the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense's announcement on the 5th, reporting that 56 Chinese military aircraft entered the ADIZ on the 4th. According to the media, the military aircraft that entered Taiwan's ADIZ included 38 J-16 fighter jets, 2 Sukhoi-30 (SU-30) fighter jets, 2 Yun-9 (Y-8) anti-submarine patrol aircraft, 2 Kongjing-500 (KJ-500) early warning aircraft, and 12 Hong-6 (H-6) strategic bombers, totaling 56 aircraft.

The People's Liberation Army of China sent 38 military aircraft into Taiwan's ADIZ on the 1st, followed by 39 and 16 aircraft on the 2nd and 3rd respectively. Over the four days of the National Day holiday, a total of 149 military aircraft intruded into Taiwan's ADIZ.

The flight paths of the Chinese military aircraft are known to be between Taiwan and the Dongsha Islands. The Dongsha Islands are located near the Bashi Channel, which is a sea route from the Pacific Ocean into the South China Sea.

The Global Times, citing the US publication The Washington Times on the 24th of last month, reported that the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier 'Ronald Reagan' deployed in the Middle East entered the South China Sea, and another nuclear-powered carrier, the 'Carl Vinson', was simultaneously moving from northeast of Taiwan toward the Bashi Channel. It also reported that the UK Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier was sailing from southeast of Taiwan toward the Bashi Channel. Australia's amphibious assault ship 'Canberra' was also reported to have departed from Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, heading into the South China Sea.

Photo by Baidu Capture

Accordingly, the unprecedented incursion of Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan's ADIZ appears to be a warning show of force by China against the US and UK carrier strike groups.

In fact, the South China Sea Strategic Posture Initiative (SCSPI), a Beijing-based think tank, analyzed commercial satellite data and reported that on the 4th, the UK Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier was passing through the Bashi Channel. It also reported that the US Carl Vinson carrier was spotted in the same channel. Furthermore, it stated that warships from the US, UK, Japan, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand were conducting multinational joint exercises in the South China Sea alongside the three aircraft carriers.

The Global Times pointed out that the movement routes of the three US and UK aircraft carriers and the sortie of 56 Chinese military aircraft in one day are not unrelated.

Meanwhile, despite sharp exchanges between US and Chinese diplomatic officials the previous day, neither side mentioned the fact that three US and UK aircraft carriers entered the South China Sea.

Ned Price, spokesperson for the US State Department, said in a statement on the 3rd (local time), "We are deeply concerned about China's provocative military actions near Taiwan," and warned, "Cease military, diplomatic, and economic pressure on Taiwan."

In response, Hua Chunying, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, retorted, "The United States has seriously violated the 'One China' principle, the mutual non-interference agreement between China and the US, and the agreement to reduce arms sales to Taiwan," adding, "Plotting Taiwan independence is a path to death, and China's determination and will to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity are unwavering."

China appears to be reluctant for the fact that three Western aircraft carriers from the US, UK, and others are conducting exercises against China in the South China Sea to become public knowledge, and the US also seems to have refrained from mentioning the carriers to avoid provoking China.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.