Taipei: After Taiwan’s President’s visit to the US, the Chinese military once again sent dozens of fighter jets and warships towards Taiwan in a show of strength. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry gave this information on Monday. China’s military had earlier announced a “three-day patrol to prepare for battle”. China claims the island nation as part of it. China says contacts between foreign officials and the island’s democratic government encourage Taiwanese people who want formal independence. The ruling Communist Party of China says that this could lead to a war situation. The two sides separated in 1949 following a civil war. China says the island can be re-incorporated into the mainland if needed.
This action of China has been taken at a time when, despite its aggressive attitude, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, hosted Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen in California, USA. A delegation from the US Congress in Taiwan also met Tsai over the weekend after her return. China responded by imposing travel and financial sanctions on individuals associated with Tsai’s visit to the US and increased military activity. China’s People’s Liberation Army said on Monday morning that its Shandong aircraft carrier is participating in exercises encircling Taiwan for the first time, according to a post by the Eastern Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on the social media platform ‘Weibo’. In this, a fighter plane is seen flying from a ship in a video.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, a total of 70 aircraft movements were detected between 6:00 a.m. on Sunday and 6:00 a.m. on Monday, half of which crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait. It is an informal border as per an agreement between China and Taiwan. The aircraft that crossed the center line included eight J-16 fighters, four J-1 fighters, eight Su-30 fighters and reconnaissance aircraft. This was followed by 59 other flights by bombers on Monday morning, as well as several fighter jet movements, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry. Annoyed by Taiwan’s President Sai Ing-wen’s recent visit to the US, China also sent warships and dozens of fighter jets towards the Taiwan Strait on Saturday.
Eight warships and 71 aircraft were spotted near Taiwan on Saturday, 45 of which crossed the center line of the strait, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that it was approaching the situation with the view of “not escalating conflict, and not causing disputes”. Taiwan said it was monitoring China’s activities through its land-based missile systems as well as its navy ships. Meanwhile, south of the South China Sea, the US 7th Fleet said its anti-missile destroyer USS Milius has left for a shipping mission.
China has built an artificial island on the sea to stake its claim on the disputed area. China says the US “illegally entered its territory” without its permission, according to a statement issued by China’s military’s Southern Command. A member of the US delegation who met with Sai said the threat posed by China to the US should be taken seriously. Significantly, the Chinese government claims that Taiwan is part of its national territory, while the current government of Taiwan says that this self-governing island is already a sovereign nation and is not a part of China.
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