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38 Chinese warplanes enter Taiwan’s air defence zone

  • The PLA sent 25 planes into the area during the daytime, followed by 13 at night
  • First sortie included fighters, bombers and an anti-submarine aircraft, which passed over the Taiwan-held Pratas Islands

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Four Su-30 fighters took part in the sortie. Photo: Handout

A total of 38 People’s Liberation Army planes entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone on Friday in two separate sorties, the defence ministry in Taipei said.

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The flights saw 25 planes entering the area in the daytime, followed by 13 at night, the ministry said.

Taiwan’s military responded with radio warnings to leave and deployed air defense missile systems.

Taiwan has complained for a year or more of repeated missions by China’s air force, often in the southwestern part of its air defence zone close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.

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Taiwan denounces mainland China for ‘over the top’ flights into island’s air defence zone

Taiwan denounces mainland China for ‘over the top’ flights into island’s air defence zone

The daytime PLA air force mission involved 18 J-16 and four Su-30 fighters plus two nuclear-capable H-6 bombers and an anti-submarine aircraft, the Taiwan ministry said.

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