Taiwan Deploys Missiles as 28 Chinese Warplanes ‘Conduct Exercise’ around the Island

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force flew 28 warplanes on Tuesday to conduct an exercise surrounding Taiwan to which the renegade island state responded by issuing radio warnings and deploying missiles.

Chinese state-controlled media, Global Times commented that the “drill indicated a stronger control over the Taiwan Straits by the PLA, and sent a strong signal to the Taiwan secessionists and the activity by a US aircraft carrier near the region.”

“A total of 28 PLA aircraft, namely 14 J-16 fighter jets, 6 J-11 fighter jets, four H-6 bombers, two KJ-500 early warning aircraft, a Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft and a Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, entered Taiwan's southwestern air defense identification zone on Tuesday,” Global Times  said  sourcing its information to Taiwanese media citing the island's defense authorities but not to Chinese authorities.

Taiwan’s MoD posted on its website that it responded to the Chinese aircraft’s flight by alerting airborne sorties, issuing radio warning and deploying missiles.

Some reports linked the PLA exercise to the G7 summit, which ended on Sunday and issued a communiqué extending support to the Taiwan government.