Скачать или смотреть Military jets take off from Taiwan air base after Chinese forces seen near island

(11 Dec 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hsinchu Air Base, Hsinchu, Taiwan - 11 December 2024
1. Various of military jets before taking off
2. Wide of military jets taxiing
3. Various of military jets taking off
4. Wide of Hsinchu Air Base
STORYLINE:
Three military jets were seen taking off from the Hsinchu Air Base in Taiwan on Wednesday after a large Chinese military force was detected near the island.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that it had detected a dozen Chinese naval ships and 47 military planes in the previous 24 hours but no live-fire activity as in previous military exercises.

The Chinese deployment covers a wider area this time, with additional ships going beyond Taiwan into other parts of the Pacific, defence officials said at a news conference.

Lt. Gen. Hsieh Jih-sheng said China’s navy is creating two walls — one at Taiwan's perimeter and another outside the first island chain, which extends south from Japan and through Taiwan to the Philippines.

The military has been bracing for possible drills by China in response to a recent overseas trip by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te that included Hawaii and Guam, an American territory.

On Wednesday, things were largely quiet at the Hsinchu Air Base in Taiwan, however, three Taiwanese Mirage 2000 fighter jets were seen taking off.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes the self-governing island having official interactions with other countries, and in particular, the United States. Lai spoke with U.S. congressional leaders by phone while in Guam last week.

While the U.S., like most of the world, doesn’t formally recognize Taiwan as a country, it is the largest supplier of arms to the island of 23 million people for its defense.

Without any announcement from China on military drills, Taiwan officials are calling the ongoing activity a training exercise.

AP video shot by Jonah Kuh

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