Taiwanese Air Force jets scrambled to intercept some 30 Chinese military aircraft as they entered the island’s air defense zone, the authorities in Taipei reported on Monday.
According to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, 22 of those planes were fighter jets, with the rest made up of electronic warfare, early warning, and anti-submarine aircraft.
The Chinese Air Force squadron approached Taiwanese-controlled Pratas Island in the northern part of the South China Sea. Though situated around 450km (280 miles) away from Taiwan proper, the island and the waters surrounding it are part of the republic’s so-called Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), not to be confused with the republic’s narrower airspace.
As well as sending its combat jets to the area, Taipei said it had also activated its missile defenses, which monitored the incoming aircraft.
Taiwan’s military officials described the incursion as the largest of its kind since January 23, when 39 Chinese aircraft crossed into the ADIZ.
Beijing has yet to comment on the latest incident. Previously, the Chinese government has described similar episodes as drills aimed at protecting the country’s sovereignty.
Taiwan, which China considers to be part of its territory, has registered an uptick in the number of incursions conducted by Beijing’s air force and navy over the past two years. Taipei describes such actions as nothing short of “gray zone” warfare, apparently aimed to both wear out the island’s military as well as test its defenses
Just last week, China announced that its military had carried out drills in the vicinity of Taiwan, describing them as a “solemn warning” to Taipei against its “collusion” with the US.
Europol concerned over fate of western arms in Ukraine
RT
Europol head, Catherine De Bolle, has warned weapons currently being delivered to Ukraine could eventually end up in the hands of criminals operating on the continent.
In her interview with Germany’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper published on Saturday, De Bolle said that one of the things which were of concern to her organization was the “whereabouts of the weapons that are currently being delivered to Ukraine.” She explained that when the conflict ends, Europol wants to “prevent a situation akin to that of 30 years ago in the Balkan war.”
“The weapons from that war are still being used by criminal groups today,” she said.
De Bolle noted that one of Europol’s key priorities now was to “find a way in which we will deal with the situation after a possible end to the war.” According to her, Europol “will be assembling an international task force that will address this issue.”
The official acknowledged that Europe is currently seeing an unprecedented level of violence on the streets, akin to the situation seen so far only in Latin American countries. De Bolle also said that corruption in the EU is on a “scale larger than we had assumed.” More than half of the criminal organizations Europol is observing use the services of corrupt officials in one way or another to facilitate their illegal business, the agency’s chief revealed.
As for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, another major area of concern to Europol, besides the weapons, is the travel of “known terrorists and extremist individuals prepared to use violence” in the war zone, according to De Bolle.
1 comment:
When Mao threatened Taiwan in the late 50's Ike responded with battleships. Presently Biden munches on yellow dreamsicles parceled in Wuhan.
Post a Comment