Fact check: Chinese fighter jet Sukhoi-35 destroyed as it enters territories?

Relations between China and Taiwan have been complex and largely hostile. China is getting greedier day by day, it is creating disturbances to neighbouring countries on all sides. China has a reputation of backstabbing.

Recently, the internet has been abuzz with reports that Taiwan deftly shot-down a Chinese Air Force, Russian-origin Su-35 aircraft that was detected in radar over the border. It is being told that the Chinese Su-35 fighter jet allegedly violated Taiwan’s airspace.

Following the incident, multiple videos started circulating on social media, showing the burning wreckage of jet, said to be a PLAAF Su-35S allegedly shot down by Taiwan Patriot PAC-3 SAM.

Media reports have also surfaced claiming that Taiwan brought down the aircraft after Chinese PLA aircraft made several incursions into Taiwanese airspace over the last few months.

However, many users have flagged the report calling it false while some said that the fighter jet crashed due to technical glitch. No official statement has been made by either China or Taiwan.

It was reported that Taiwan used the US Patriot missile defence system to bring down the Chinese jet. Reports also suggested that Chinese pilot was also injured in the incident and captured by the Taiwanese military. Many media outlets have reported the news making it “viral” in a matter of hours:

Later, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence issued a statement on Friday, denying that it had shot down a Chinese Su-35 fighter jet. ‘The Air Force Command solemnly refutes that this is false information and completely untrue,’ the notice read.

Turns out that the news was fake! China has categorically refuted the claim that Taiwan has shot down any of its aircraft and said that the fighter jet crashed due to technical glitch.

Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China in a statement said, ”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.”

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence has also rubbished the reports, calling it a ‘malicious act.’

In a press release, issued by the Air Force Command, the statement read, “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,”

Writer, historian, and activist Dharam Sikarwar is a very active author The Youth. He writes on national and international issues, environment, politics. He is an avid book reader as well.