Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

China's high-tech warplanes pose 'big new threat' to Taiwan

China's high-tech warplanes pose 'big new threat' to Taiwan

China's deployment of J-16D jets into Taiwan's air defence zone this week marked the first sighting of the new high-tech warplanes, Taipei confirmed Tuesday, their electronic-jamming equipment posing a fresh threat to the island.
Taiwan lives under the constant spectre of invasion by China, which sees the self-ruled, democratic island as part of its territory to eventually be reclaimed -- by force if necessary.

The final quarter of 2021 saw a massive spike of Chinese incursions into Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ), with the biggest single day coming on Oct 4, when 56 warplanes entered the zone.

Sunday and Monday saw a dramatic show of force as well, with 52 warplanes entering the zone over the two days, according to the island's defence ministry.

Among the 13 observed on Monday were two J-16D jets, which the ministry confirmed Tuesday to AFP was the first time the high-tech warplanes had been seen in action.

The new jets were first unveiled at an airshow in China in September, Chinese state-run media Global Times reported.

The J-16D comes with four jamming pods and two electronic warfare pods as well as two missiles under the jet's belly, it said.

"It is capable of destroying radar to suppress and damage the enemy's aerial defence capabilities," Shu Hsiao-huang, an analyst at Taiwan's Institute for National Defence and Security Research, told AFP.

These radar-jamming capabilities could "pave the way for subsequent attacks", he added.

"It poses a big new threat to Taiwan's air defence."

The Global Times published a sabre-rattling editorial Tuesday, calling the appearance of the J-16D fighters a "self-evident" message.

"PLA (The People's Liberation Army) warplanes will not only fly around Taiwan island, they could also... sooner or later fly over the island," the editorial warned.

The two-day rash of incursions came on the heels of the United States and Japan carrying out naval exercises in the Philippine Sea last week, an area that includes waters just east of Taiwan.

Taiwan only started regularly publicising its data on air incursions in September 2020.

October remains the busiest month on record, with 196 forays into the defence zone, which extends well beyond Taiwan's territorial airspace, overlapping with parts of China's ADIZ.

Sunday's 39 warplanes -- the majority of them J-16 fighters -- is tied with Oct 2 as the second-highest recorded number of incursions in a single day.

Beijing has ramped up pressure on Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen was elected president in 2016, as she considers the island a sovereign nation and not part of "one China".

Last year, Taiwan recorded 969 incursions by Chinese warplanes, according to a database compiled by AFP -- more than double the roughly 380 carried out in 2020.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×