Beijing Bombers, Fighter Jets Encircle Taiwan in Drill

Sputnik News
Date: 13.12.2017

A group of People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) H-6K bombers and Su-30 and J-11 fighter jets conducted a mission Monday “that circled the island of Taiwan, further improving their ability to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” a PLAAF spokesman said this week, according to a fact sheet obtained by China Daily.
Taiwan, an island nation that generally considers itself independent from Beijing, might take issue with the notion that China’s warplanes support its sovereignty. Beijing, however, considers Taiwan to be a wayward province that should eventually be incorporated back into China and has not ruled out using force to do so.

“Multiple bombers and reconnaissance planes have flown routes that circled the island of Taiwan,” Sr. Col. Shen Jinke reportedly said. According to China Daily, the mission marked the ninth routine drill around Taiwan in the past four months, and noted that the first such circling mission occurred last December.    [FULL  STORY]