D.he Chinese Air Force dispatched more aircraft to the Taiwanese air defense identification zone over the weekend than ever before. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said there were 38 military aircraft on Friday, 39 on Saturday and 16 on Sunday. These included J-16 fighter jets, H-6 nuclear-armed bombers, as well as submarine fighters and reconnaissance planes. The maneuvers coincided with the Chinese national holiday. The party newspaper Global Times called it a “National Day military parade on the Taiwan Strait”.
It is “an unequivocal declaration of sovereignty by China over the island”. There was no official statement from Beijing. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory. The Taiwanese Prime Minister Su Tseng-chang accused the Chinese government of having “damaged the peace in the region through willful military aggression”. The Taiwanese Air Force launched fighter planes to observe the maneuvers.
The Chinese planes did not enter Taiwan’s airspace within twelve miles of the island. The air defense zone unilaterally defined by Taiwan, in which aircraft are supposed to identify themselves, extends far beyond that and includes parts of mainland China. Over the past two years, the Chinese Air Force has increased the pressure on Taiwan so much that it now flies through the zone almost every day. The highest number of aircraft that has so far been counted on a day was 28. It was significantly exceeded on Friday and Saturday. Beijing also increased its threat with the use of nuclear-armed bombers.
America sees “peace and stability” at risk
With the air maneuvers, China has different goals. For one, they are intended as a warning to the United States and other Western powers not to do anything to encourage Taiwan to take a step towards independence. Among other things, Beijing was enraged by the first passage of a British warship through the Taiwan Straits since 2008, as well as the establishment of the new defense alliance between America, Australia and Great Britain. The American Navy is currently active in the waters around Taiwan with two aircraft carriers.
Unconfirmed media reports have also sparked resentment in Beijing that Washington is considering authorizing Taiwan to rename its representation in America from the Taipei office to the Taiwan office. In addition, the provocative aerial maneuvers are part of Beijing’s psychological warfare aimed at convincing the Taiwanese people that their government could not protect them in the event of a Chinese invasion. In addition, the flights aim to wear out the resources of the Taiwanese air force. The State Department in Washington accused China of “endangering peace and stability in the region” with the flights.
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