Taiwan makes claims about Chinese military jets — Analysis
A total of 18 Chinese air force planes have entered the island’s air defense zone, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense says
Taiwan has accused the Chinese military of a mass air incursion into the island’s air defense zone. A fleet of 18 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, including two nuclear-capable H-6 planes entered the zone on Friday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said.
These bombers could be nuclear capable and were accompanied by a Y-8 Anti-Submarine Aircraft, KJ-500 Aerial Warning and Reconnaissance plane and twelve J-11 and J-16 Fighter Jets.
This incursion led to the mobilization of Taiwanese fighter planes and activation anti-aircraft missile system systems. “to monitor the activities”Chinese Air Fleet. However, the aircraft did not reach Taiwan’s airspace. The Chinese military has, so far, remained silent on the run-in with the island’s military.
Beijing, which views Taiwan as an integral part of its territory under its ‘One China’ policy, has regularly flexed military muscle near the island, buzzing it with large aircraft units and sending in warships. Taiwan was self-governed in 1949 when remnants of the Nationalist Government fled to Taiwan following the Civil War. However, Taiwan never declared its independence from China.
The island nation has remained a constant source of tension between Beijing and Western nations, primarily the US, that has long proclaimed its commitment to protecting Taiwan’s “independence”. Although the US doesn’t have diplomatic ties to Taipei like many other countries, it has strong military cooperation. Beijing has repeatedly warned Washington against cozying up with Taiwan, as it regards any foreign activities around it as a violation of the ‘One China’ principle and meddling into its domestic affairs.
The ongoing conflict between Russia, Ukraine and Taiwan has hampered military cooperation between the US and Taiwan. Washington was eager to supply more weapons to Kiev. On Monday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense admitted that Taipei’s $750 million order for 40 US-made howitzers was “crowded out”Production lines were increased, and delivery time estimates for the product were pushed back to 2026, instead of 2023, as originally planned.
Taipei admitted openly that it had been monitoring the Ukraine conflict “very carefully” to learn from it and use Kiev’s experience should Beijing opt for a military option to seize control of the island. Beijing insists it wants peaceful reunification. However, the country hasn’t ruled out forceful intervention.
“I think the Chinese government must be thinking or calculating how the US or other major countries are going to come to Taiwan’s help or whether they’re going to come to Taiwan’s help. If Taiwan does not have any support, I think that’s going to be a green light to aggression,” Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, told CNN on Sunday.
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