Taiwan authorities issued a warning Thursday about nine Chinese military aircraft in the southwestern part of its airspace.
This information was provided by the country’s defense minister in a statement that also indicates that the Taiwanese air defense system has monitored the activity of the Chinese military. The aircraft models were eight J-16 fighters and one Y-8 RECCE.
Many Chinese users have used the social network Weibo, the so-called Chinese Twitter, to draw parallels between the situation in Ukraine and Taiwan, which the Chinese People’s Party claims, although it has not ruled the island of 23 million people. “Hey little Taiwan, are you watching?” User wrote. “I hope Ukraine will be a warning to you!”
Another added, “Hopefully, the biggest surprise that woke up tomorrow morning is the return of Taiwan [à pátria]. “
Beijing on Thursday called for restraint after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but said the troop movement was not an invasion and follows a “very complex historical context”.
“China is closely monitoring the situation. We ask all parties to calm themselves down to prevent the situation from getting out of control,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a press conference.
The Russian attack comes weeks after a meeting between Putin and Xi Jinping ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, in which the two sides signed a friendship pact aimed at countering US global influence.
