The clarification came after Taiwanese social media went abuzz with claims that China’s Su-35 fighter plane was shot down by the country’s air defense system.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense on Sep. 4, 2020, refuted reports that claimed its country has shot down a People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet earlier today, saying that this information is false and malicious.
The clarification came after Taiwanese social media went abuzz with claims that China’s Su-35 fighter plane was shot down by the country’s air defense system.
“The Air Force Command solemnly refuted this day that this is false information, and completely untrue. The Air Force Command pointed out that it strongly condemns such malicious acts by deliberately creating and disseminating false and false information on the Internet in an attempt to confuse the audience,” The press release, issued by the Air Force Command and appeared on Twitter, stated.
“The Air Force Command emphasized that in order to maintain airspace security, the headquarters will continue to closely monitor the conditions of the sea and airspace around the Taiwan Strait, and provide the correct information in a timely manner to prevent the spread of fake and false news, and to avoid social unrest, and appeals to people to rest assured,” it added.
Multiple videos circulating on social media had shown a jet engulfed in thick smoke. The military jet was claimed to have been shot down by Taiwan after it intruded into the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, according to the accounts.
One of the footage shows the wreckage swallowed by a blaze while thick smoke billowed from the scene.
An onlooker can be heard saying: ‘A plane has fallen. A fighter jet.’
Another clip shows a man, believed to be the pilot, lying on a stretcher while being surrounded by residents. The pilot is said to have suffered severe injuries, according to the online accounts.
In the last few months, China has stepped up its military activity around the island, spurring Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang to say that China was “disturbing” the island.
Actually, China has no control over Taiwan but claims it as part of its territory under its “One China Principle.”
According to Times Now, last month, Chinese state media threatened to conduct a “military mission” till Sep. 4 in the north of the Taiwan Strait following which Taipei warned Beijing against any attempt to annex the democratic island nation.
Photo by Russian Air and Space Force