Tribratanews.polri.go.id - At least 21 Chinese military jets breached Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday (2/8), the day the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, arrived in the region.
Taiwan's Ministry of Defense reported that the 21 military jets consisted of 10 Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, eight Shenyang J-11 jets, one KJ-500 aircraft, one Shaanxi Y-9 electronic fighter, and one Shaanxi Y-8 electronic intelligence aircraft.
Taiwan immediately issued a radio warning, while deploying aircraft and missile defense systems to track the Chinese jets.
Taiwan's Ministry of Defense confirmed that ADIZ is indeed a zone outside the official territory of one country. However, the zone is designated as an area where air traffic controllers ask the crew of passing planes to report their identities.
Taiwan News reported that so far this month, China has deployed 25 of their jets to Taiwanese ADIZ, including 22 fighter jets and three surveillance aircraft.
This latest breakthrough occurred on the day Pelosi arrived on Taiwan. The speaker of the US House of Representatives landed at Taipei Songshan Airport at 10:44 p.m. Just a few minutes later, at 10:59 p.m., the Chinese army announced that they would hold military exercises in six areas around Taiwan on August 4-7.
China has repeatedly warned the US that it will take firm steps if Pelosi does set foot in Taiwan. So far, China considers Taiwan as part of its country which has recently developed and continues to call for independence.
The US does recognize Taiwan as part of China under the "One China" principle that China continues to echo.
In the past, the US had never openly defended Taiwan. However, the US began to openly install an agency for Taiwan in 2018, when they signed the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). Under the TRA, the US can establish relations with the "Taiwanese people" and their government, without specifying the government in question.
