China ready to annex Taiwan by ‘any means possible’
A swarm of jets entered Taiwan’s air defence zone on Thursday and included 12 J-16 fighters and two nuclear-capable H-6 bombers, the Taiwan defence ministry said.The worrying development forced the island’s air force to scramble into the skies to warn off the Chinese aircraft, the ministry added.
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More than 100 Chinese planes have ventured into Taiwan airspace so far this year, according to the latest data.
The latest flashpoint across the Taiwan Strait also comes just days after Beijing flew 10 fighter jets across the region.
China continues to ramp up the pressure on Taiwan and regards the island as a wayward Chinese province.
Last week, the self-governing nation announced an $8.7 billion increase in military spending over the next five years.
China has deployed fighter jets to Taiwan (Image: GETTY)
Chinese aircraft entered Taiwan airspace on Thursday (Image: GETTY)
The major boost to the defence budget, including funds for new missiles, comes on the back of growing tensions with Beijing.
In a statement, Taiwan’s defence ministry said the extra funds was due to “severe threats from the enemy”.
It said: “The Chinese Communists have continued to invest heavily in national defence budgets, its military strength has grown rapidly, and it has frequently dispatched aircraft and ships to invade and harass our seas and airspace.
“In the face of severe threats from the enemy, the nation’s military is actively engaged in military building and preparation work, and it is urgent to obtain mature and rapid mass production weapons and equipment in a short period of time.”
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Chinese President Xi Jinping (Image: GETTY)
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian (Image: GETTY)
Taiwan and China split during a civil war in 1949, but China continues to claim Taiwan as part of its own territory.
The Chinese Communist Party say Taiwan is part of “one-China” rather than a separate country.
The continued stranglehold over Taiwan by Chinese President Xi Jinping has made it extremely difficult for the island to form ties with the international community.
On Wednesday, Taiwan applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) .
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The military power of China (Image: EXPRESS)
The move came less than a week after China submitted an application to be a part of the 11-nation trading bloc.
Taiwan ‘s chief trade negotiator John Deng said the island has a different “system” from China, including democracy, rule of law, transparent laws and respect for personal property.
He added there was no direct connection between Taiwan’ s CPTPP application and China’s.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has since dismissed any suggestion of Taiwan forming part of the pact on its own accord.
He said: “We are firmly opposed to any country having official ties with Taiwan , and to Taiwan entering into any official treaty or organisation.”
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