Viewpoint China
Unwarranted intrusions by aircraft of the PLAAF into the airspace of neighbouring countries have increased substantially
CHINA – A MAJOR DESTABLISING FACTOR IN THE REGION
Photograph: eng.chinamil.com.cn / Wang Guosong
The rapid growth of both economic and military power of China and how it chooses to wield these capabilities, will undoubtedly have implications for the world
By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd) On May 31 this year, as per the Foreign Ministry of Malaysia, as many as 16 fighter aircraft belonging to the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of China, intruded into the airspace over Malaysia and flew over the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without permission from the regional air traffic control of the nation despite being requested repeatedly to seek proper clearance to do so. The Malaysian Air Force scrambled fighter jets to visually confirm the intrusion. On the same day, an Ilyushin Il-76 heavy transport aircraft of the PLAAF was observed to be flying in the airspace over the maritime zone of Malaysia. The intrusion into the airspace over Malaysia by military aircraft of the PLAAF is regarded as
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a serious threat not only to the safety of aircraft, both civil and military that operate in the airspace over Malaysia with proper authorisation, but also to national security and sovereignty of the nation as well. Such unwarranted intrusions by aircraft of the PLAAF into the airspace of countries in the region, are bound to impinge on and strain relations between China and the nations in the South East Asian region. Earlier this year, on April 12, as many as 25 military aircraft of China including an Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, had intruded into the Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) of the air space under the control of Taiwan. Instances of incursion into Taiwanese airspace by
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