Taiwan condemns China, Russia for undermining peace with military actions

Taipei, Nov. 29 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Friday condemned Chinese and Russian authorities for escalating regional tensions, citing Chinese warplanes crossing the Taiwan Strait's median line and joint China-Russia military activities breaching South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ) over the past two days.

A total of 30 Chinese warplanes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Thursday and Friday, entering Taiwan's northern and southwestern airspace in coordination with 15 naval vessels and the release of three high-altitude balloons, according to a MAC statement issued on Friday.

The Chinese military also carried out another "joint combat readiness patrol" targeting Taiwan on Thursday evening, said the MAC, Taiwan's top government agency handling cross-strait affairs.

Beyond its ongoing military coercion in the Strait, China also joined forces with Russia on Friday to dispatch 11 warplanes into the KADIZ, prompting the South Korean Air Force to scramble military jets for interception, the MAC added.

The Korean Times, citing an official at South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, reported Friday that five Chinese and six Russian military aircraft entered the KADIZ between 9:35 a.m. and 1:53 p.m. on the same day (local time) over the Sea of Japan, known in Korea as the East Sea and the waters off South Korea's southern coast.

Russian aircraft reportedly approached from the northeast, while Chinese warplanes intruded into the KADIZ near Ieodo Island, off the country's southern coast, and flew northward over waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, according to the English-language Korean newspaper.

"This further proves that the Chinese Communist Party is not only the source of instability in the Taiwan Strait but also a troublemaker in the Asia-Pacific region," the MAC said.

"The (Taiwan) government strongly condemns the irresponsible actions of China and Russia in arbitrarily undermining regional peace and stability," the MAC added.