TAIPEI, Taiwan—China is showing no sign of easing its aggression against Taiwan, after the Chinese military sent 39 military aircraft into the island’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Jan. 23, a record high in a single day in 2022.
The latest incursion involved 34 J-16 and J-10 fighter jets, one H-6 bomber, and four aircraft with electronic warfare capabilities, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense. In response, Taiwan’s military scrambled fighters, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the activity.
Chinese warplanes have been making forays into the island’s ADIZ since September 2020, when Taiwan’s defense ministry began releasing information on the incursion amid a significant increase in the number of such flights.
There were about 380 sorties in 2020, according to the ministry. The number more than doubled to 961 sorties in 2021. That year, the Chinese regime’s largest show of force happened on Oct. 4, 2021, when 56 military aircraft breached the island’s ADIZ.
So far this month, there have been only five days when the ministry didn’t report any incidence of China’s incursion.
The Chinese Communist Party is trying to wear down Taiwan’s Air Force with its repeated air incursions. More importantly, the communist regime is hoping to intimidate the island into submission—so that Beijing could take over Taiwan without the need to resort to military conflicts.
Read More: Taiwan Responds as China Sends 39 Military Aircraft Into Its Air Defense ID Zone
