:meow-popcorn: Mood music.

How bad is it? Global Times is currently posting Mao quotes.

EDIT: You can track the flight here currently: https://www.flightradar24.com/SPAR19/2ce4f83f

Site currently overloaded it seems

EDIT: Japanese media report about the departure of eight fighters and five US Air Force tanker aircraft from Japanese bases. https://i.imgur.com/9ORbaJ0.jpg

EDIT: US propaganda telegrams reporting "A total of 22 🇺🇸 KC-135 aerial refuelling aircrafts are flying from outside bases to the US military Kadena base in Okinawa, Okinawa Defense Bureau"

EDIT: Civilian traffic cleared on east coast of China. Chinese fighters spotted near Fujian. (Telegrams)

EDIT: Taiwanese fighters take over escort. US fighters no longer escorting SPAR19 (Telegram)

EDIT: J-16 sighted at the south side of the Bashi Strait (Telegram)

EDIT: SU35s crossing the Taiwan Strait (Telegram)

EDIT: CGTN reporting SU35s crossed the Taiwan Strait

EDIT: Video of an air raid siren reportedly in Fujian is floating around the telegrams now.

EDIT: Looks like it has landed in Taipei airport now.

Not sure what happens next.

  • plov_mix [comrade/them]
    hexbear
    35
    edit-2
    2 years ago

    So about 15 minutes after Icecreamfridge touched ground -- which probably means the move was premeditated --, the Xinhua New Agency was authorized by the Chinese government to release that China will be conducting six military exercises completely surrounding Taiwan. interestingly, the exercises are time to begin on midday August 4, after Icecreamfridge would have left for either Japan or cringe Korea.

    Up to a few days ago, it used to be a dispute whether Chinese fighter jets should be allowed to fly over the so-called mid-point line (or whatever) between the mainland and Taiwan. Now the military exercises are basically right off-shore both Taibei and Gaoxiong, the island's two largest metropoles.

    Add: also, about 20 minutes after that, the Eastern Theater Command of the PLA announces military exercises in the northern, southwestern, and southeastern areas of the island -- beginning immediately. The timing is interesting (? it starts earlier than the previous one but is announced later), and there is not a single mention of what areas planes or ships should avoid (the one above have coordinates and map).

      • plov_mix [comrade/them]
        hexbear
        18
        edit-2
        2 years ago

        nothing extreme for sure, it's just never happened before -- I mean, at least Russia had had numerous military exercises on its western border before the one in Feb 2022 :shrug-outta-hecks:

    • Parzivus [any]
      hexbear
      15
      2 years ago

      This seems pretty big :what-the-hell:

    • Catherine_Steward [she/her]
      hexbear
      13
      2 years ago

      six military exercises completely surrounding Taiwan

      lol libs gonna be literally calling for nuclear war

    • A_Serbian_Milf [they/them]
      hexbear
      11
      2 years ago

      Keep those 6 exercises surrounding Taiwan going indefinitely, let’s see how the imperialist bloc responds to their own island being completely blockaded :quagsire-pog: