Taipei: A Little Chinese civil aircraft It flew very close to a remote Taiwan-controlled island off the coast of China earlier this month, TaiwanThe Defense Ministry said on Tuesday, China may try a new strategy to test its responses.
Taiwan has repeatedly complained of Chinese military activity near it over the past two years, with most of China’s air force flying over Taiwan’s air defenses from its southwestern and southern coasts, although relatively far from Taiwan.
Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory and increases pressure on Taipei to accept its sovereignty, has designed this “gray zone war” to sabotage its air force and test its capabilities. .
The ministry said the plane took off near Dongyin, part of the Matsu archipelago off the coast of China. Fujian Provinceon 6 February
After not identifying the first aircraft, the ministry said they had confirmed it was a Chinese civilian Y-12, a lightweight twin-engined aircraft.
“On the Dongyin incident, of course, we have made a preliminary decision, and we cannot rule out that they are using civilian aircraft to test our military’s responses,” a ministry spokesman said. ” shih shun-wen told reporters.
“The military will certainly take similar actions, but it will take various contingency actions without a small incident that gives rise to war.”
The ministry said the aircraft entered its “defense response zone” but did not enter its territory at Matsu, which Taiwan defines as water and airspace six km (about 4 miles) from the coast. China does not officially recognize any claim of sovereignty by Taiwan.
Shih declined to give details about Taiwan’s military’s response to the incident, citing military secrecy.
China’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Taiwanese media took footage of the plane taking off right next to Dongyin and said residents could clearly see and hear it.
The Matsu Islands have been controlled by Taiwan since being defeated. Republic of China The government fled to Taipei in 1949 after losing a civil war with the Communists.
The Matsu Islands were not as heavily defended as they were until the late 1970s when China often opened fire on them, but Taiwan still maintains military forces there.
Taiwan also controls the much larger Kinmen Island and some nearby islands off the Fujian coast of China. xiamen City.
Taiwan has repeatedly complained of Chinese military activity near it over the past two years, with most of China’s air force flying over Taiwan’s air defenses from its southwestern and southern coasts, although relatively far from Taiwan.
Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory and increases pressure on Taipei to accept its sovereignty, has designed this “gray zone war” to sabotage its air force and test its capabilities. .
The ministry said the plane took off near Dongyin, part of the Matsu archipelago off the coast of China. Fujian Provinceon 6 February
After not identifying the first aircraft, the ministry said they had confirmed it was a Chinese civilian Y-12, a lightweight twin-engined aircraft.
“On the Dongyin incident, of course, we have made a preliminary decision, and we cannot rule out that they are using civilian aircraft to test our military’s responses,” a ministry spokesman said. ” shih shun-wen told reporters.
“The military will certainly take similar actions, but it will take various contingency actions without a small incident that gives rise to war.”
The ministry said the aircraft entered its “defense response zone” but did not enter its territory at Matsu, which Taiwan defines as water and airspace six km (about 4 miles) from the coast. China does not officially recognize any claim of sovereignty by Taiwan.
Shih declined to give details about Taiwan’s military’s response to the incident, citing military secrecy.
China’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Taiwanese media took footage of the plane taking off right next to Dongyin and said residents could clearly see and hear it.
The Matsu Islands have been controlled by Taiwan since being defeated. Republic of China The government fled to Taipei in 1949 after losing a civil war with the Communists.
The Matsu Islands were not as heavily defended as they were until the late 1970s when China often opened fire on them, but Taiwan still maintains military forces there.
Taiwan also controls the much larger Kinmen Island and some nearby islands off the Fujian coast of China. xiamen City.
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