World News

President Zelenskyy Tells Israeli Students Jerusalem Should Step Up Support for Kyiv  

Hebrew University students agree that Israel could do more, while envoy tells The Media Line that Israel’s left-wing parties have been most sympathetic to the cause  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed students and faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem via video on Thursday, telling them that his country is disappointed by the level of support – both diplomatically and materially – it has received from Israel in its war with Russia. During his address, Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s request for Israel to sanction Russia and for increased military aid.

The Media Line spoke to students that participated in the program, who said that they are grateful for Israel’s help but feel that Israel could do more. At the same time, the students say that they understand Israel’s security concerns in maintaining a more neutral stance toward the conflict. They also noted that the government’s current stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could affect how they vote in the upcoming election in Israel.

1,jpg – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses students and faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem via video on June 23, 2022. (Debbie Mohnblatt/The Media Line)

Linked video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf02438TGd0

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ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that Ankara was investigating claims that Ukrainian grain has been stolen by Russia and would not allow any such grain to be brought to Turkey.

Kyiv’s ambassador to Ankara said in early June that Turkish buyers were among those receiving grain that Russia had stolen from Ukraine, adding he had sought Turkey’s help to identify and capture individuals responsible for the alleged shipments.

Russia has previously denied allegations that it has stolen Ukrainian grain.

“We take every claim seriously and are investigating them seriously. We notify especially the Ukrainian side of the result every time,” Cavusoglu said in a joint news conference with British Foreign Minister Liz Truss in Ankara.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry did not immediately comment on the matter.

Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies, while Russia also heavily exports fertilizer and Ukraine corn and sunflower oil. But Ukrainian grain shipments from its Black Sea ports have stalled since Russia invaded, with some 20 million tonnes of grain stuck.

Cavusoglu said Turkey would oppose Russia or any other country taking Ukrainian grain or other goods and selling them illegitimately to international markets.

“We, as Turkey, will not allow these goods to come to us,” he said.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ali Kucukgocmen; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Toby Chopra)

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LONDON (Reuters) – World Health Organization (WHO) experts meet on Thursday to evaluate whether monkeypox constitutes an international emergency, its highest form of alert.

Only six such emergencies have previously been declared: COVID-19 (2020), the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (2019), Zika virus (2016), polio (2014), West Africa’s Ebola outbreak (2014), and the H1 virus that caused an influenza pandemic (2009).

WHO does not declare pandemics, but it did start using the term to describe COVID-19 in March 2020. For many governments, that – rather than WHO’s earlier declaration of an emergency – was the moment they began to take real action to try to contain the disease, which proved to be far too late to make a difference.

Other outbreaks, such as yellow fever in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2016, were assessed by the WHO’s committee but ultimately did not meet the criteria: an unusual event spreading internationally which needs cross-country co-operation.

The declaration largely serves to draw attention, and does not officially unlock funding or new measures, although it can lend more weight to WHO’s advice and the actions taken by countries. An expert committee makes the recommendation, but the ultimate decision lies with the Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Here are the details:

COVID-19

Recent estimates from WHO suggest that around 15 million people may have died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was declared an emergency by the U.N. agency in January 2020, about a month after the first reports of a novel coronavirus from Wuhan, China.

An independent panel appointed by the WHO said recently the agency should have declared the new coronavirus outbreak in China an international emergency earlier.

EBOLA IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

The WHO’s emergency committee on Ebola declared the outbreak an international emergency in July 2019, after authorities in DRC had already spent a year fighting the disease in an active conflict zone. There were 3,481 cases and 2,229 deaths.

ZIKA

The WHO in 2016 declared Zika a public health emergency of international concern. Zika had spread to more than 60 countries and territories since the outbreak was identified in Brazil in 2015.

By November 2016, when the WHO declared an end to the emergency, there had been some 2,300 confirmed cases worldwide of babies born with microcephaly, most in Brazil.

Microcephaly is a condition caused by the virus, and marked by abnormally small heads that can lead to developmental problems.

POLIO

In 2014, the WHO declared the resurgence of polio to be a public health emergency of international concern, and the label still applies to the disease that can paralyse and kill children.

Pakistan’s failure to stem the spread of the disease triggered the global measures, which also applied to Syria and Cameroon. Polio cases in Pakistan rose from 58 in 2012 to 93 in 2013, more than a fifth of the world total of 417.

EBOLA IN WEST AFRICA

An Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia between 2013 to 2016 killed at least 11,300 people, more than all other known Ebola outbreaks combined.

The spread of the haemorrhagic fever also cost the economies of those three countries an estimated $53 billion, according to a 2018 study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

SWINE FLU

The swine flu pandemic of 2009 killed an estimated 284,500 people, about 15 times the number confirmed by laboratory tests at the time, according an international group of scientists.

A 2012 study in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal said the toll might have been as high as 579,000 people. The original count, compiled by the WHO, put the number at 18,500.

(Reporting by Jennifer Rigby; Editing by Josephine Mason and Tomasz Janowski)

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By Mohammad Yunus Yawar and Sayed Hassib

GAYAN, Afghanistan (Reuters) -Afghan authorities struggled on Thursday to reach a remote area hit by an earthquake that killed 1,000 people but poor communications and a lack of proper roads hampered their efforts, officials said.

The magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck early on Wednesday about 160 km, (100 miles) southeast of Kabul, in arid mountains dotted with small settlements near the border with Pakistan.

“We can’t reach the area, the networks are too weak, we trying to get updates,” Mohammad Ismail Muawiyah, a spokesman for the top Taliban military commander in hardest-hit Paktika province, told Reuters, referring to telephone networks.

The earthquake killed some 1,000 people and injured 1,500 injured, he said. More than 3,000 houses were destroyed.

The toll makes its Afghanistan’s deadliest earthquake in two decades, according to U.S. government data.

About 600 people had been rescued from various affected areas on Wednesday night, disaster management officials said.

The town of Gayan, close to the epicentre, sustained significant damage with most of its mud-walled buildings damaged or completely collapsed, a Reuters team said.

The town, with only the most basic roads, was bustling with Taliban soldiers and ambulances as a helicopter bringing in relief supplies landed nearby, whipping up huge swirls of dust. About 300 people sat on the ground waiting for supplies.

The rescue operation will be a major test for the hard-line Islamist Taliban authorities, who took over the country last August after two decades of war and have been cut off from much international assistance because of sanctions.

The Taliban-led ministry of defence is leading rescue efforts.

The United Nations said its World Food Programme (WFP) was sending food and logistics equipment to affected areas, with the aim of initially supporting 3,000 households.

“The Afghan people are already facing an unprecedented crisis following decades of conflict, severe drought and an economic downturn,” said Gordon Craig, WFP deputy country director in Afghanistan.

“The earthquake will only add to the already massive humanitarian needs they endure daily.”

Japan and South Korea both said they also plan to send aid.

Large parts of South Asia are seismically active because a tectonic plate known as the Indian plate is pushing north into the Eurasian plate.

In 2015, an earthquake struck the remote Afghan northeast, killing several hundred people in Afghanistan and nearby northern Pakistan.

(Reporting by Sayed Hassib in Gayan and Mohammad Yunus Yawar in KabulWriting by Alasdair Pal; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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From King to Kingmaker?

Israel’s Bennett ends a year in office as political deadlock once again looms

When Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was sworn into office in June 2021, there was hope that Israel was finally emerging from a lengthy political crisis. After four national elections in less than two years and a polarized society characterized by a bitter and often virulent discourse, Israelis needed a break from the nasty politics.

A year ago, many thought the new government would quickly collapse.

“Against all odds, it was a year in which normalcy returned to Israeli society and the political system,” said Eran Vigoda-Gadot, a professor of public administration at the University of Haifa.“It was clear, however, that it wouldn’t complete its [four-year] term.”

Almost a year to the day after he entered office, a solemn Bennett on Monday announced his decision to dissolve the Knesset. He has not yet said whether he will run in the upcoming election. Yet his role on the political scene may be far from over.

On Wednesday, the Knesset passed in a preliminary vote, 110-0, the bill to dissolve itself and pave the way for Israel’s fifth election within three and a half volatile years. It is expected to become law next week.

A look back at a year of the Bennett government shows success alongside failures and unfulfilled promise.

He entered office after over 12 years in which Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ran the government, as the country was slowly emerging from the COVID-19 crisis and in the immediate aftermath of May 2021’s bloody war with Hamas in Gaza.

Perhaps the greatest success, other than its yearlong survival, was the approval of a state budget. This came after three years in which the country functioned without one due to the political paralysis.

“This was very important, as were the appointments of senior justice officials and other senior appointments,” said Dr. Emmanuel Navon, an expert on international relations at Tel Aviv University. “The government also began critical reforms in agriculture, education, and the economy. There were many things that had not been done in years.”

Now, things have come to a halt. With, according to the polls, the political map largely unchanged, it is difficult to see how continued progress will be made. In fact, Israel may be entering another endless loop of back-to-back elections.

As he pronounced the death of the coalition, Bennett listed what he saw as his achievementsduring his 12 months in power. Israel battled two major waves of the coronavirus without imposing lockdowns. Violence along the Gaza border subsided and an unprecedented massive budget for Israel’s large Arab sector was approved.

The coalition was the first to have an independent Arab party (Ra’am) in it, causing many to refer to the government as a political experiment. Bennett had his hands full with challenges, leading a diverse group of eight parties ranging from the extreme left to his own ultra-nationalist Yamina party. With a razor-thin majority that quickly turned into a parliamentary minority, it was an uphill battle destined to fail.

Perhaps his greatest defeat was his failure to maintain such a heterogeneous coalition.

“Bennett chose the wrong people. He did not have people around him who provided solid backing, people whom he could trust,” said Navon. “With such a slim majority to begin with, he needed disciplined partners which he did not have.”

One of Bennett’s own party members never voted in favor of the coalition from the get-go. As two additional Yamina lawmakers eventually joined member of Knesset Amichai Chikli, Bennett struggled to rein in his own party.

When Bennett spoke to the Knesset at the inauguration of the government, he said the coalition would be putting aside contentious issues. It was an attempt to avoid rocking the boat, aiming to guarantee the stability of the unlikely partnership. Reality kept testing him and the government.

In recent months, Israel has faced an upsurge in terrorist attacks perpetrated both by Palestinians and by Arab-Israeli citizens. This was the challenge many thought a government with Arab participation could not withstand.

“A door was opened; it was an example of how cooperation is possible,” said Vigoda-Gadot, “This was a success that changed the discourse in the country and opened the option for non-Zionist citizens to sit in the government.”

Navon said, “This is very interesting progress and a positive precedent that broke a taboo. Instead of polarization, we saw the option for cooperation on certain issues for the benefit of both Arabs and Jews.”

Ultimately it was not Arab-Jewish strife that led Bennett to conclude the coalition had reached its end. It was the impossible political constellation with immense pressure from the right-wing opposition that rendered the tasks at hand an insurmountable challenge.

“The government did not fall due to the recent security tensions,” Vigoda-Gadot said. “Rather because of politicians who saw nothing but their own personal interests.”

The glue that brought the government together, namely keeping Netanyahu away from the helm, was not enough for some of the coalition members, especially those with affiliation to the former premier’s bloc.

During the year and a week in which Bennett was in power, there was also a marked change in Israel’s international relations. Bennett and Foreign Minister Lapid repaired bipartisan ties with the US.

After years of tensions with Jordan and Egypt, there was an open dialogue with leaders from both countries. Ties with Gulf nations, which began during the Netanyahu era, deepened.

On the Iranian nuclear program, Bennett said he “made sure Israel’s interests were guaranteed”through dialogue with the US.

The US decision to not remove the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps from its terror group list was seen by some, including Bennett, as the result of Israeli pressure on the matter.

“The Biden Administration was much more inclined to work with Bennett than with Netanyahu,” said Navon. “Clearly the good relations with Bennett allowed for more agreements on the Iranian issue and this is one of his achievements.”

Once again, the political fate of Israel will be decided by very slight changes that could tip the balance post-election. This is where Bennett, however politically battered he may be, could be critical.

“The arena is very turbulent and a lot of things could happen. A few thousand votes could lead to a major change,” Vigoda-Gadot told The Media Line.

As the Knesset pressed forward Wednesday with the legislation that will enable a snap election, the 50-year-old Bennett was business as usual. Several polls show his party barely crossing the 3.25% vote threshold needed to enter the Knesset.

“Bennett has many years ahead of him; he might take time off from politics, which would be the end of his political party,” said Vigoda-Gadot. “If he runs and gets a small number of mandates, he could still play a decisive role as a kingmaker.”

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Here We Go Again: Israel’s 5th Election on the Horizon

As the government moves to dissolve the Knesset, sending thecountry back to the polls, experts believe the result will bepolitical deadlock, again

On Wednesday, the Israeli parliament voted to dissolve itself, inthe first of four readings that the bill needs to become law.

The process is expected to conclude on Monday, or perhaps aday or two later, after which the Foreign Minister Yair Lapidwill become caretaker prime minister until an election is heldand a new government is formed.

The expected election which will be the country’s fifth in threeand a half years.

On Monday evening, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett andForeign Minister Yair Lapid announced they would begin theprocess of dissolving the Knesset. They did so to preempt theopposition, which they expected to bring down the governmentnext week.

Professor Jonathan Rynhold, head of the Department of PoliticalStudies at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, toldThe Media Line the results of the election that will be held at theend of October or the beginning of November are expected to bevery similar to those of the last one held in March 2021.

Eyal Lewin, chairman of the Department of MultidisciplinaryStudies at Ariel University, explained that the participation ratein Israeli elections is always high and that therefore, theoutcome won’t be very different from the last four elections.

Israelis, he told The Media Line, “will go to vote just like theprevious times. Israelis vote, they care about the results. Andbecause Israelis are going to vote, and also voted during the lastrounds, the chances of any meaningful change are very small.”

The election could produce several possible scenarios.

According to Rynhold, the most likely outcome is that no partywill manage to form a coalition with the majority of theparliament, as is needed to form a government.

If that happens, he added, either Lapid will continue as primeminister and there will be another election or former PrimeMinister Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud party will force him tostep down as its candidate for the premiership.

In that case, a center/right-wing government will be formed,probably led by Likud, and Lapid and his Yesh Atid party willbe part of it, explained Rynhold.

However, he believes the chances of his party turning onNetanyahu out are low. “It is by no means certain the Likudwould displace Netanyahu; therefore, an election would bepossible,” continued Rynhold.

Another scenario would see Netanyahu, the religious parties, and the far-right parties get 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset and form a government. “I think that is the second most likely outcome,” Rynhold said.

Lastly, Lapid might manage to form a government similar to thecurrent one, based on the same coalition.

As for Bennett, Lewin believes his only chance to be re-elected is to leave Yamina and join another party.

He lost his base the moment he formed an alliance withMansour Abbas, chairman of the Islamist Ra’am party, Lewinsaid. “So his voters won’t vote for him. His only chance to getvoted in is if he joins with somebody else.”

Lewin said that Bennett can’t run like he did the last time, “him,[Interior Minister Ayelet] Shaked and another two or three[candidates in their own party], because they won’t be in theKnesset.”

Rynhold added that even though Bennett is “politically burned”right now, he is not out of the game.

“I think that for the time being, Bennett is ‘burned’ politically.But many people have come back from being burned in Israelipolitics, including Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon. So just becausehe’s burned now, it doesn’t mean he’s out,” he continued.

Lapid, on the other hand, heads to the election in a much bettersituation.

“It’s always an advantage to be on the horse when you’re in therace,” said Lewin, referring to Lapid assuming the caretakerprime minister role until a new government is formed.

“It’s a great advantage because people get used to seeing him asa prime minister, to seeing him as a leader,” he added.

Netanyahu, who is seeking a third stretch as prime minister,evokes conflicting emotions among Israelis.

There is no general Israeli opinion about Netanyahu, saidRynhold. “Israel is divided. The ideological Right, the ultra-Orthodox and Likud loyalists love Netanyahu, and the rest of thecountry hates him,” he added.

Rynhold explained that Netanyahu’s chances of forming agovernment depend on the turnout, “particularly the turnout inthe Arab sector.” The higher that turnout, the worse it is forNetanyahu, and the better it is for Lapid and the coalitionpartners in the current government, he explained.

The last possibility, one that Bennett wants to prevent bydissolving the Knesset as quickly as possible, is for agovernment headed by Netanyahu to be formed without anelection.

However, Rynhold believes the chances for that to happen arevery low.

To do that, he explained, Netanyahu would need 61 votes for a“constructive no-confidence vote.”

“I don’t see the Arab parties giving him [the votes he needs toreach] 61, and I don’t see anyone in the [current] coalition withenough lawmakers giving him 61 either,” Rynhold said.

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Abraham Accords Are Secure Despite Israeli Gov’t Turmoil, Gulf Analysts Say

Solidarity against Iran the key, and it will continue, the consensus finds

The political instability and the pending elections in Israel will not affect the Abraham Accords normalization agreements, a majority of Gulf and Arab experts say.

Gulf media outlets view the problems plaguing the Bennett government and the Knesset as a political dispute between the various political parties in Israel, while some newspapers indicate that these differences are related to the corruption charges against the opposition leader and former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

“Bahrain and the UAE wish for political stability in Israel, especially since stability there means moving forward in the new relationship with the Hebrew state,” Saad Rashid, a Bahraini political analyst, told The Media Line.

“There will certainly be no impact on the Abraham Accord. Some other agreements, whether related to the economy, education, or other areas, may be delayed, but certainly, there will be no retreat from the Abraham agreements,” Rashid said.

Marwan Hatem, a journalist specializing in Israeli affairs, toldThe Media Line, “The political differences within the Israeli government have been going on for more than four years, and they do not significantly affect foreign policies.

“The most important thing for the Gulf and Arab countries is for the new Israeli government to maintain its anti-Iranian stance, which puts pressure on the reluctant US administration to reject any return to the nuclear agreement with Iran that might cause a crisis in the region,” he continued.

“[Likely interim Prime Minister] Yair Lapid, [outgoing Prime Minister Naftali] Bennett, and others are hostile to Iran. Military and security agreements with the countries of the region will continue, and this is the most important thing,” Hatem said.

Montaser Qassem, a journalist specializing in Iranian affairs, told The Media Line, “I do not expect a change with regard tothe deployment of anti-missile, radar, and anti-drone systems in the Gulf in both Bahrain and the Emirates, which were previously announced.

“With regard to the Palestinian issue, the countries that signed peace agreements with Israel still believe in the two-state solution, which is perhaps the decision within the Israeli government, but the most important thing for all the countries now is the stability of the region,” Qassem said.

Gulf and Arab activists who usually tweet about Israeli affairs did not comment on the political problems of the Israeli government and the announced dissolution of the Knesset and only reported the news as it was.

Mohammed Naqi, an Emirati writer, agreed with the above commentators on the Gulf states’ priorities regarding Israel.

“Gulf countries do not interfere in internal affairs [of other countries] and respect them as usual, and they deal with any other government according to the norms, charters, and agreements between the two countries,” Naqi said.

A member of the Bahraini parliament who preferred not to be named commented for The Media Line, “Certainly, the agreements with Israel are stable, and the Israeli government’s position toward Iran is also consistent because Iran is a common enemy.”

He added, “What we fear is an internal change toward a policy of expanding settlements in the [Palestinian] territories, or the continuation of pressure and practices toward Al-Aqsa Mosque, or that the new government will be tougher on the Palestinians

“It is true that Israeli policy is stable, and it is a state of institutions that does not depend on personal decisions, but there were also governments that were less severe in dealing with the Palestinians, and others that were very severe. We hope that the new government in Israel will realize the importance of easing pressure on the Palestinians and speeding up the two-state solution,” the Bahraini lawmaker said.

In the same context, the Palestinian-born Al-Jazeera journalistJamal Rayyan held a nonscientific poll on his official Twitter account showing that 93% of the thousands of respondents rejectthe idea of creating an alliance between Arab countries and Iran to confront Israel.

Rayyan, who holds American citizenship, is known for his hatred and criticism of the peace agreements with Israel. He deleted the poll’s result and submitted it for a revote, claiming the initial results had been distorted by “the sudden entry of 4,000 votes by Zionist flies in order to mislead Arab public opinion.”

Mutlaq al-Anzi, a Saudi political analyst, told The Media Line:“Israeli policies are fixed, and they will not change regardingany of the regional or internal files, no matter how governments change. There is no fear of any future government in Israel.”

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SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) -Heatwaves in northern and central China drove up electricity demand to record levels as millions switched on air conditioners to escape the sweltering conditions, while floodwaters in the south submerged villages and trapped city residents.

On Wednesday, China’s meteorological administration issued orange alert warnings for high temperatures in regions across the provinces of Shandong, Henan and Hebei.

Several cities in Shandong, China’s second-most populous province, have issued “red alert” high temperature warnings, which have pushed up demand for air-conditioning among the region’s more than 100 million people.

Temperatures in the regions were expected to hit above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) this week, according to the state weather forecaster.

The maximum electricity load at Shandong’s grid hit 92.94 million kilowatts on Tuesday, passing the 2020 peak of 90.22 million kilowatts, setting a new record, state television said on Wednesday.

Loads in adjacent Henan province reached a peak of 71.08 million kilowatts on Monday, exceeding the previous day’s record of 65.34 million kilowatts, according to state media.

Premier Li Keqiang, visiting a thermal power company in the northern province of Hebei, said China must increase coal production capacity to “resolutely prevent power outages”, according to a state media summary published late on Tuesday.

Parts of Hebei, Henan and Shandong have faced drought-like conditions throughout June, as high temperatures arrived earlier this summer than in previous years.

TRAPPED BY FLOODS

As heatwaves baked northern and central China, heavy rain has been falling in seven provinces in the south, including Guangdong, the country’s most populous.

On Wednesday, 113 rivers in China flooded above warning levels, with seven above historical levels, state television quoted the water resources ministry as saying.

In Guangdong, the provincial emergency management department said heavy rainfall has impacted 479,600 people, 27.13 hectares of crops and collapsed 1,729 houses, resulting in economic loss of 1.756 billion yuan ($261 million), state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Residents in Yingde, a city in Guangdong where the flood warning had been upgraded to Level I, said on social media that water and power had been cut as the area flooded.

China has a four-tier alert system where Level I signals the most severe flooding.

“The water came very fast, and I believe many have not prepared foodstuff in their homes,” said a user on China’s Twitter-like microblog Weibo.

Stores have run out of staple foods like oil and rice as residents rushed to stockpile, a local resident told Reuters.

Yingde authorities have relocated some residents in the south of the city and advised others not to leave their homes.

In Jiangxi province, trapped villagers were rescued after floods washed away roads and bridges, state television reported.

($1 = 6.7153 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Albee Zhang, Ella Cao and Ryan Woo in Beijing, Wang Jing in Shanghai and Josh Horwitz; Additional reporting by Liz Lee in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Michael Perry)

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MOSCOW (Reuters) – Members of the Russian delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) were denied British visas to attend the next session, Vladimir Dzhabarov, first deputy head of Russian upper house’s international affairs committee, said on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Alex Richardson)

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TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan scrambled jets on Tuesday to warn away 29 Chinese aircraft in its air defence zone, including bombers that flew to the south of the island and into the Pacific, in the latest uptick in tensions and largest incursion since late May.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for the past two years or so of repeated missions by the Chinese air force near the democratically governed island, often in the southwestern part of its air defence identification zone, or ADIZ, close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.

Taiwan calls China’s repeated nearby military activities “grey zone” warfare, designed to both wear out Taiwanese forces by making them repeatedly scramble, and also to test Taiwanese responses.

The latest Chinese mission included 17 fighters and six H-6 bombers, as well as electronic warfare, early warning, antisubmarine and an aerial refuelling aircraft, Taiwan’s defence ministry said.

Some of the aircraft flew in an area to the northeast of the Pratas, according to a map the ministry provided.

However, the bombers, accompanied by an electronic warfare and an intelligence gathering aircraft, flew into the Bashi Channel which separates Taiwan from the Philippines and into the Pacific before turning back to China on the route they came in.

Taiwan sent combat aircraft to warn away the Chinese aircraft, while missile systems were deployed to monitor them, the ministry said, using standard wording for its response.

It was the largest incursion since Taiwan reported 30 Chinese aircraft in its ADIZ on May 30. The largest to date this year occurred on Jan. 23, involving 39 aircraft.

There was no immediate comment from China, which has in the past said that such moves were drills aimed at protecting the country’s sovereignty.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Reuters in an email that Beijing should “cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure and intimidation against Taiwan”.

China launched its third aircraft carrier on Friday, the Fujian, named after the province opposite Taiwan.

China’s military said last month it had conducted an exercise around Taiwan as a “solemn warning” against its “collusion” with the United States.

That came after U.S. President Joe Biden angered China by appearing to signal a change in a U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity” on Taiwan by saying the United States would get involved militarily if China were to attack the island.

China has stepped up pressure on Taiwan to accept its sovereignty claims. The Taipei government says it wants peace but will defend itself if attacked.

No shots have been fired and the Chinese aircraft have not been flying in Taiwan’s air space, but in its ADIZ, a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols that acts to give it more time to respond to any threats.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Michael Martina in Washington; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Mark Heinrich)

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