Amid the growing military incursions from Beijing, a total of 27 Chinese warplanes entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Sunday.
According to the Ministry of National Defense (MND), the Chinese planes came in three groups, Focus Taiwan reported.
The two groups that flew deep into Taiwan's southeastern ADIZ consisted of two KJ-500 third-generation airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) planes, one Shaanxi Y-9 electronic warfare plane, five H-6 bombers, one Y-20 aerial refueling tanker, and four Chengdu J-10 and two Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, Taiwan news agency said.
The group that flew into the southwestern ADIZ was entirely fighter jets, consisting of two Chengdu J-10, four Shenyang J-11, and six J-16s, Focus Taiwan reported.
The ADIZ flights also marked the first sighting of the Y-20 aerial refueling tanker, which, according to the MND, is a refitted variant of China's Xi'an Y-20 large military transport airlifter.
The MND said that the oil tanker made its maiden flight in 2019, and has the ability to carry about 60 tons of fuel, Focus Taiwan reported.
Taiwan has been witnessing an increase in incursions as Beijing claims full sovereignty over the democratic island.
Taiwan is a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.
Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing.
China has also threatened that "Taiwan's independence" means war. On June 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to complete reunification with self-ruled Taiwan and vowed to smash any attempts at formal independence for the island.
( With inputs from ANI )
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