Chinese bombers flew completely around the island of Taiwan for the first time on Nov. 25, a move that Beijing called a routine training mission, days before the controversial phone call between Taiwan’s new president and President-elect Trump.
Deputy National Defense Minister Lee Hsi-ming was quoted by the Focus Taiwan news channel as saying that the long-range training mission was not surprising, “explaining that if China had a capability, it was going to demonstrate it.”
The mission reportedly included six Chinese aircraft: two H-6K bombers that are technically capable of carrying nuclear weapons; two Su-30 fighters; and two spy planes.
China has increased its training missions in the western Pacific, often flying close to Taiwan, which it considers a part of China, or Japan.
On the Chinese version of Twitter, China insisted the recent flights “are not aimed at any specific country, region or target, are legal, reasonable and fair.”
Chinese has flown planes near Taiwan on at least three occasions recently, but in none of the instances did the Chines planes enter Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, according to a local lawmaker quoted by Focus Taiwan.
