On Tuesday, Taiwan said that it had spotted 24 Chinese jets near the island and demanded that China end the “military harassment” that posed a threat to regional stability.
Since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016, China has increased military and political pressure on self-ruled Taiwan because she does not accept Beijing’s claim that the island is Chinese property.
The Defense Ministry of Taiwan issued a statement warning that “the People’s Liberation Army’s continuous military harassment in the region could lead to a sharp escalation of tensions and worsening of regional security.”
Statements like “We urge Beijing to take responsibility and immediately cease all unilateral actions that undermine regional stability” are included.
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Days after the United States agrees a $500 million weapons deal to China, China begins sending planes and boats toward Taiwan.
Since 9 a.m. local time (0100 GMT), the Ministry of National Defense claims that Beijing has been conducting a “joint combat patrol” near Taiwan with 24 aircraft, including fighter planes, bombers, and drones, and five warships.
Taipei was employing its own aircraft, warships, and land-based missile systems to keep an eye on the half of the warplanes that had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered the ADIZ.
Since Tsai’s planned visit to Eswatini, the only African nation that recognizes Taiwan officially over China, was revealed on Friday, Chinese air intrusions into Taiwan have increased.
The defense ministry said on Saturday that 32 Chinese airplanes and nine warships had been seen in the 24 hours before surrounding the island.
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China’s latest show of force involves the dispatch of ships and fighter planes near Taiwan.
Moreover, the United States’ recent approval of Taiwan’s purchase of sophisticated sensor equipment for fighter planes may have something to do with the rise in intrusions.
And on Monday, Taiwan’s defense ministry said that a Chinese BZK-005 drone flew a route around the island that such long-range vehicles seem to be using more often.
After Tsai visited with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California in April, Beijing conducted military drills to mimic the encirclement of the island.
In response to Vice President Lai Ching-te’s return to Taiwan following a trip to Paraguay that included two stops in the United States, Beijing conducted military maneuvers earlier this month and restricted mango imports from Taiwan.
The exercises were described as “a stern warning to the collusion of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists with foreign elements and their provocations” by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.