Taiwan on red alert after sighting China helicopter in prohibited border zone

Taiwan rose to red alert after sighting Chinese helicopter making an incursion into its border territory on Friday.

The Chinese helicopter was sighted in the early hours of Friday in Taiwan territory in an incursion into the disputed border territory. Taiwan immediately deployed some jet fighters to chase the Chinese helicopter out of its territory.

The fighter jets were firing missiles at the helicopter which immediately swerved and flew out of the Taiwan territory within the disputed border zone. The helicopter from China escaped all the missiles fired by the Taiwan jet fighters.

The Taiwan prime minister ordered the military to be on red alert in an anticipation that China may take advantage of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia to move into Taiwan and take over the country.

The US Commander in Asia had on Thursday expressed concern that the US has reason to worry over China during this period of crisis in Ukraine, saying that China may rise to invade Taiwan within this period of tension in Ukraine as Russia did on Thursday.

The US President Joe Biden had vowed that the US will deploy all resources to protect Taiwan from invasion by China.

There has been no official statement from Beijing over the Friday incident.

China has over the years been claiming ownership of the South Sea, a border territory with Taiwan. China has also been contesting that Taiwan is not an independent state but an extended territory of China. The Chinese authorities argued that Taiwan is a settlement of rebels who flee China.

The US has been defending Taiwan, conducting joint-military operations in the China South Sea with Taiwan while China has established a military base in an Island near the South Sea.