Taipei, July 9 (CNA) Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party on Saturday strongly denounced China for flying warplanes across the center line of the Taiwan Strait on Friday, reaffirming their resolve to uphold the nation’s security.
On Friday, nine Chinese warplanes crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait while flying in the southwestern part of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), the Defense Ministry confirmed. (MND) of Taiwan later in the day.
The military release included one Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft, one Y-8 RECCE aircraft, four Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, two J-10 fighter jets and one J-11 jet, the ministry said.
In a press release on Saturday, the DPP said Beijing’s repeated military harassment had damaged cross-Strait relations and seriously undermined regional security.
The DPP has urged China to immediately cease these “irresponsible” and “provocative” actions against Taiwan, which it says only prove that China is the “real culprit to blame” for the strained relations across the Strait. Taiwan, as well as status disruption. quo and rules-based international order.
While Taiwan will not respond to China’s increasingly intense military intrusion with action that could lead to a military confrontation, the nation will not give in to intimidation or military threats from China’s authoritarian regime, it said. the PDP.
If an inch of Taiwan’s sovereignty and way of life in a liberal and democratic society is threatened, Taiwan has the determination and the ability to defend itself, the DPP said.
In its statement, the KMT said that the middle line of the Taiwan Strait emphasizes peace and stability, and as such, crossing it endangers Taiwan’s security and undermines the rights of the Taiwanese people.
The KMT has called on China to exercise restraint and minimize the risk of conflict, vowing the party will stand firm on its abiding desire to safeguard the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) and cherished values of freedom and democracy. to Taiwanese.
Late Saturday, the MND said 5 Chinese military aircraft had flown into the southwestern part of Taiwan’s ADIZ earlier in the day, including a Y-8 anti-submarine warplane, a warplane electronic Y-8, a KJ-500 AEW&C and two J-16 fighter planes.
In response, the ministry dispatched a combat air patrol, sent out radio warnings and deployed defense missile systems to track the five Chinese military planes that flew near the southern end of the median line, the statement said. ministry.
An ADIZ is an area declared by a country to enable it to identify, locate and control approaching foreign aircraft, and it is not part of territorial airspace as defined by international law.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) inspected the Kaohsiung-based Naval Fleet Command on Saturday where he asked officials to closely monitor any movement involving other countries’ military forces in the waters around Taiwan.
Chiu’s visit came amid reports by Japan’s Defense Ministry that two Chinese warships sailed south in international waters between Yonaguni Island in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture and the Yilan County in Taiwan on June 21 and three Russian warships traveled north between Yonaguni Island and Iriomote-jima Island, also off the northeast coast of Taiwan, on 1 and July 2nd.
