Dozens of PLA planes detected near Taiwan amid aircraft carrier drills
ROC Central News Agency
11/01/2023 02:53 PM
Taipei, Nov. 1 (CNA) A total of 43 Chinese warplanes were detected around Taiwan in the 24-hour period ending early Wednesday, with many taking part in a drill with a Chinese aircraft carrier, the Shandong, in waters southeast of Taiwan.
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a statement that in addition to the 43 warplanes, of which more than three dozen flew along the southern perimeter of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), seven warships were also spotted in areas close to Taiwan between 6 a.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. Wednesday.
These People's Liberation Army (PLA) planes and ships are believed to be conducting patrols in the area as part of a joint sea-air drill conducted by the Shandong aircraft carrier in waters outside of Taiwan's southeastern contiguous zone.
The contiguous zone is set at 24 nautical miles (44.4 kilometers) from the island's shore.
The MND said it scrambled planes to monitor the Chinese aircraft, issued radio warnings, mobilized combat air and naval patrols, and deployed defense missile systems to track the Chinese warplanes.
An ADIZ is a self-declared area in which a country claims the right to identify, locate and control approaching foreign aircraft but is not part of its territorial airspace as defined by international law.
The MND on Oct. 26 announced that it detected the Shandong passing through the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan and into the Western Pacific. It also released a black and white aerial photo it captured of the Chinese aircraft carrier's activity that day.
The Shandong is China's second aircraft carrier and the first domestically built after being commissioned in 2019.
(By Joseph Yeh)
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