Fact Check: Viral claims that Taiwan shot down Chinese SU-35 jet are FALSE

Hyderabad: Amid heightened military tension between India and China, social media is abuzz with news that Taiwan's air defence system has shot down SU-35 fighter jet of China.

Several media houses and social media users in India shared a video along with the claim that Chinese SU-35 intruded the airspace of Taiwan, which triggered the attack from Taiwan. This claim has been shared widely on social media with the narrative of mocking China and in support of Taiwan by Indian users amidst escalating tension between and India and China. This video is also viral on Taiwan's social media.

The same video circulated on Facebook with a similar claim.

Archive of the claims can be accessed here and here.

The Sakal Times news portal also carried the same claim.

Fact check

The claim that Chinese fighter aircraft SU- 35 was shot down by Taiwan is FALSE.

During keyword search, Newsmeter came across a report by ANI, which carried out an official statement from the Air Force Command of the Republic of China (Taiwan) clarifying about the rumors.

"In response to the Internet spread of 'Taiwan shot down a CCP SU-35 aircraft?' Air Force Command solemnly refuted today 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," Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of China, said in a statement.

Archive of the tweet can be accessed here.

News correspondent of CGTN (China Global Television Network), ShenShiwei tweeted on these particular rumors and identified such claims as FALSE.

Archive of the Tweet can be accessed here.

Daily Mail reported that "Taiwanese officials have denied that it shot down a Chinese Su-35 fighter jet after social media footage of the wreckage of a plane burning near a building emerged. Footage circulated on Twitter shows the wreckage engulfed in flames and thick smoke. Several online accounts claimed that it was a Sukhoi Su-35 fighter plane that fell down in the city of Guilin in southern Chinese province Guangxi. The Chinese authorities have yet to confirm the alleged incident."

The same has been reported by Times Now, Indian Express, and others.

While Taiwan has released its official statement about the incident, China is yet to give a clarification on the plane crash.

So the viral claims that the Chinese SU-35 fighter jet was shot down by the Taiwanese air defence system are FALSE.