China has begun training its bombers off the coast of Taiwan, days before a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the Taipei Times reported.
China has sent a group of H-6K strategic bombers to the coast of Taiwan for “confrontation exercises”. The bombers were accompanied by several J-10 fighter jets that flew into “unspecified airspace”. The H-6K bombers are known to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons, underscoring the demonstration nature of the exercises.
The military channel of Chinese state television reported that air force units of the Eastern Command, which is responsible for operations around Taiwan, conducted combat training focused on reconnaissance, early warning and precision strikes in key areas. The story showed footage of J-10 fighter jets taking off, H-6 bombers launching missiles, and fragments of training exercises that simulated combat operations.
“Several J-10 fighter jets flew in combat formation to a designated target airspace, and several H-6K bombers flew into the waters and airspace around Taiwan Island to conduct simulated confrontation exercises,” the report said.
China regularly sends its fighter jets, drones, and warships into the airspace and waters near Taiwan. Such actions are of an intelligence nature and at the same time aimed at intimidating the Taiwanese authorities.
Let us recall that official Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and calls its government “separatist”, not excluding the possibility of using force to “reunify” the island with mainland China.
