Taiwan’s defence ministry referred to China’s military’s 24-hour deployment of 103 warplanes as a recent high.
According to the ministry, the planes were discovered between Sunday at 6 a.m. and Monday at 6 a.m. local time. Before they got to Taiwan, they made the traditional detour. Nearly every day, albeit usually in lower numbers, Chinese jets pass over the independent island. The Taiwanese ministry declined to define what it meant by a “recent” high.
As tensions between the two countries and with the United States have increased, China, which asserts that Taiwan is a part of its territory, has conducted a number of increasingly significant military exercises in the air and on the seas near Taiwan.
The US is Taiwan’s principal armaments supplier and opposes any effort to use force to alter Taiwan’s status.
In an effort to woo the Taiwanese while also militarily threatening the island, China last week unveiled a plan for an integrated development demonstration zone in the Fujian province. This is part of China’s long-standing “carrot and stick” policy, according to experts.
It’s possible that the current acts are an effort to influence Taiwan’s presidential election in January.
The Chinese government despises the island’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party because it favours legal independence for the territory. China supports candidates from the opposition who favour cooperating with the mainland.
On Monday, the candidates for president remained silent over the most recent military exercises by China.
According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, 40 of the aircraft passed over the figurative midway point between the mainland and the island.
More than 30 fighter jets as well as tanker planes for in-flight refuelling were among them. Additionally, Taiwan reported the presence of nine Chinese navy boats within the last 24 hours.
The Chinese military activity was described as “harassment” by the ministry.
High alert
Representative image. Image source: AP
Following an increase in Chinese warplane and ship incursions last week, Taipei made its announcement on Monday.
Beijing declared last week that its forces were on “high alert” after two American and Canadian ships passed through the Taiwan Strait.
According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning, 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels were spotted in the area of the island.
According to the government, several of these aircraft and warships were en route to an unidentified region of the Western Pacific to “conduct joint sea and air training” with China’s Shandong aircraft carrier.
One of China’s two active aircraft carriers, the Shandong, was spotted last week about 110 kilometres (60 nautical miles) southeast of Taiwan on its way to the Western Pacific, according to Taipei authorities.
Additionally, the Japanese defence ministry reported last week that its navy had spotted six ships, including the Shandong, in waters around 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Miyakojima island, east of Taiwan. The six ships included destroyers, frigates, and one fast combat support ship.
Although China has not made any public comments regarding any drills being held in the Western Pacific, it has been reported that jets and helicopters have been seen taking off from and landing in Shandong.
China’s sacred region
As it coordinates several military exercises with friends in the region, analysts speculate that China may be flexing its muscles to counterbalance US power in the Asia-Pacific.
According to Su Tzu-yun of Taiwan’s Institute for National Defence and Security Research, “China seeks to counter the military containment of democratic allies led by the United States.”
Following Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in August of last year as the speaker of the US House of Representatives, China conducted its biggest-ever war exercises near Taiwan.
Then, in April of this year, after Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California, Beijing carried out a three-day “Joint Sword” military drill to mimic the encirclement of the island.
Taiwan was described as a “sacred and inalienable part of China” by the state tabloid Global Times in a statement on the Weibo social media platform.
It said, referring to China’s military, “Relevant combat training activities of the People’s Liberation Army are necessary actions to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
