Footage of a Chinese fighter jet crash emerged on social media, accompanied by claims that it was shot down after entering Taiwan airspace. Taiwan Air Force Command denied the allegations.
An unidentified fighter jet of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), believed to be either a Sukhoi Su-35 or a Chengdu J-10, reportedly crashed near Guilin, in the southern province of Guangxi, China. The pilot successfully ejected but was injured upon landing.
Early media reports stated that the aircraft was shot down while infringing on Taiwan airspace, but the information was denied by the country’s Air Force Command.
“The Air Force Command pointed out that it strongly condemns such malicious acts by deliberately creating and disseminating false information on the Internet in an attempt to confuse the audience,” it said in a statement, adding that “it will continue to closely monitor the conditions of the sea and airspace around the Taiwan Strait.”
The alleged crash site in Guilin is about 900 kilometers (550 miles) away from the Taiwanese airspace. Guilin houses the fifth brigade of the PLAAF’s 2nd Air Division. The brigade operates the Shenyang J-11, an interceptor based on the Soviet Sukhoi Su-27.
— Cheng Kaifu (@Taihoku1895) September 4, 2020