• Taiwan’s defense ministry has seen 19 Chinese air force jets in its air defense zone.
• 19 J-10 jets flew into the southwestern corner of the island’s air defense identification zone.
• Taiwan has long complained about increased Chinese military activity near the island.

Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Wednesday that it has seen 19 Chinese air force jets in its air defense zone in the previous 24 hours, part of what Taipei deems Beijing‘s routine harassment.

Taiwan, which China considers its own territory, has long complained about increased Chinese military activity near the island as Beijing strives to assert its sovereignty claims.

Notwithstanding the indignation in Taipei, China has stated that its efforts in the area are appropriate in order to maintain its territorial integrity and to warn the US against “colluding” with Taiwan.

According to a map issued by Taiwan’s defense ministry, 19 J-10 jets flew into the southwestern corner of the island’s air defence identification zone, or ADIZ, though closer to the Chinese shore than Taiwan’s.

Taiwan’s military was monitoring the situation, including sending up its own air force planes, according to the ministry, which used standard language for its response to similar Chinese invasions.

The aircraft, however, did not violate the Taiwan Strait’s sensitive median line, which formerly acted as an unofficial boundary between the two sides but which China’s air force has been flying over practically daily since performing war games near Taiwan last August.

There have been no guns fired, and the Chinese aircraft have been flying in Taiwan’s ADIZ rather than its territorial air space.

The ADIZ is a larger area that Taiwan monitors and patrols, giving it more time to respond to any threats.

Taiwan’s democratically elected government has repeatedly offered discussions with China, but the island will defend itself if invaded, and only the Taiwanese people can decide their own fate.

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