mandag 25. januar 2021

China flies warplanes close to Taiwan in early test of Biden

China dispatched two large formations of warplanes close to the self-governing island of Taiwan over the weekend, presenting a significant foreign policy challenge to new United States President Joe Biden just days into his administration.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry said 13 Chinese planes entered the southwestern portion of the island's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Saturday followed by 15 on Sunday, prompting Taipei to take defensive measures, including scrambling fighter jets to monitor the Chinese flights.

According to Taiwan's Defense Ministry, Chinese military planes made more than 380 flights into the island's air defense identification zone last year. The US Federal Aviation Administration defines an ADIZ as "a designated area of airspace over land or water within which a country requires the immediate and positive identification, location, and air traffic control of aircraft in the interest of the country's national security."