Analysts say PLA incursions are political in nature
Staff writer, with CNA
Incursions by Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan’s airspace late last month were more politically rather than militarily motivated, analysts said on Monday.
Twenty Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone on March 26. Among them were two Y-8 marine patrol aircraft and an H-6K bomber that flew into airspace southeast of Taiwan, the Ministry of National Defense said.
On Monday last week, 10 PLA aircraft entered the zone and a Y-8 again flew to the southeast of Taiwan.
The incursions drew attention because Chinese planes used to limit themselves to the airspace southwest of Taiwan, which is closer to their bases, and they came amid growing speculation over whether and when China might take military action against Taiwan.