Taiwan reports 28 Chinese military jets in its air defence zone

AROUND 28 Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's air defence zone on Tuesday (15), its defence ministry stated.

Taiwan has called it the largest reported intrusion so far.

The incident comes after NATO leaders on Monday (14) warned of the military challenge posed by China.

China's increasingly assertive actions in building a nuclear arsenal, space and cyber warfare capabilities threatened the international order, NATO leaders said in a statement after the one-day summit in Brussels on Monday (14).

Fighters and nuclear-capable bombers were seen in Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ), the ministry said.

The Chinese mission included 14 J-16, six J-11 fighters, four nuclear capable H-6 bombers along with anti-submarine, electronic warfare and early warning aircraft.

An air defence identification zone is an area outside a country's national airspace, where foreign aircrafts are still identified, monitored, and controlled in the interest of national security. It is self-declared and technically remains in international airspace.

In recent months, China has regularly carried out flights over the waters between the southern part of Taiwan and the Pratas Islands.

On January 24, Taiwan monitored 15 Chinese aircrafts entering its ADIZ while on April 12, the country witnessed 25 jets.