US spy planes have been deployed to Russian and Taiwan as Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping’s forces stage war games.
The RC-135 aircraft have monitoring massive missile firing drills in the Black Sea and a sizable Chinese air force incursion into Taiwan’s airspace.
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Russia’s navy practised firing at targets in the Black Sea off the coast of annexed Crimea using its Bastion coastal missile defence system, an advanced mobile anti-ship and surface-to-surface defence system.
A radar app showed a pair US Air Force RC-135s flying through the Black Sea before turning off the coast of Crimea.
This drill was part of joint military exercises between Ukraine and the United States that will continue until the end the month.
Vladimir Putin’s forces were shown carrying out strikes with truck-mounted missiles in video footage released by the Defence Ministry.
It said that crews used drones to track a fake enemy group of boats and fired from hidden positions.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. It also supported pro-Russian separatists within Ukraine’s Donbass.
Over 13,000 people were killed during the seven-year conflict against separatists.
According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, the air force of Taiwan scrambled on Thursday in an effort to alert Chinese aircraft that had entered its air defense zone.
China had earlier voiced its opposition to Taiwan signing a major trans-Pacific trading agreement.
According to the ministry 12 J-16 fighters were included and two H-6 bombers with nuclear capabilities were among the 24 Chinese aircraft.
A US RC-135 also was sent to Taiwan, which is close to the route taken by Chinese warplanes to Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).
It comes just days after China flew 10 fighter jets into Taiwan airspace after sending planes over 15 times in two weeks.
Except for September 2, Beijing has sent a variety of aircrafts into Taiwan’s ADIZ, including spotter planes, fighter jets, and bombers.
China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has long threatened to use force to bring it under its control.
“We firmly oppose any country having official exchanges with Taiwan and firmly oppose the Taiwan region’s accession to any official treaties or organisations,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters.
Taiwan responded by saying China has no right to decide who can join the trade pact given it is not itself yet a member.
‘CHINESE BULLY’
“The Chinese government, with its deeds of just wanting to bully Taiwan in the international community, is the culprit for heightened cross-strait hostilities,” Taipei’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
China often sends military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defence zone to display displeasure but Thursday’s incursion was the biggest since June 15.
Negotiations for the sweeping trade deal were initially led by the United States as a way to increase its influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory. It has threatened forcefully to take it under its control.
After the victory of the Chinese Communist Party in the country’s civil conflict, Chiang Kai-shek, the former Chinese president, and his supporters fled to Taiwan in 1949.
The island of 25 million people has since developed its own democratic identity and party of current President Tsai Ing-wen supports moves towards full independence – which Beijing says will trigger war.
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