Two Chinese military planes enter Taiwan's ADIZ

ROC Central News Agency

12/15/2020 07:35 PM

Taipei, Dec. 15 (CNA) Two Chinese military Y-8 aircraft entered Taiwan's southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, marking the 10th day on which such maneuvers have occurred in December, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND).

According to an MND report, two Y-8s, one anti-submarine variant and one reconnaissance variant, entered the airspace between southwest Taiwan and the Taiwan-controlled Dongsha Islands (Pratas Islands) in the South China Sea.

In response to the incursion, Taiwan's Air Force scrambled planes to monitor the Chinese aircraft, issued radio warnings and mobilized air defense assets, until the Chinese aircraft left the ADIZ, the statement said.

The latest incidents marked the 10th day in December on which the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has undertaken such incursions, MND said.

Chinese military planes have been detected in the area almost everyday in December, with the exception of Dec. 3, Dec. 8, Dec. 11 and Dec. 13-14, according to the MND, which established a section on its website in mid-September to make public the movements of Chinese military planes near Taiwan.

As of Dec. 15, the PLA has flown 15 planes into Taiwan's ADIZ in December, according to MND data.

An ADIZ is established by a country to allow identification, location and control of approaching foreign aircraft. However, unlike territorial airspace, no legal foundation for the ADIZ is explicitly stipulated in international law.

(By Matt Yu and Emerson Lim)

Enditem/AW