Taiwan Reports Chinese Combat Readiness Patrols
Taiwan’s Encounter With Chinese Military Forces
According to ‘News come from source of Reader Wall’, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry reported the detection of 23 Chinese air force planes circulating Taiwan and conducting “joint combat readiness patrols” alongside Chinese warships on Friday. These events transpired before the scheduled high-profile China-U.S. talks in Thailand.
China, which perceives Taiwan as part of its territory, has consistently dispatched warplanes and vessels to the region around Taiwan over the last four years. This strategy is aimed at reinforcing their sovereignty assertions, which are firmly rejected by the Taipei administration.
Taiwan’s Defence Ministry stated that beginning from around 4 p.m. (0800 GMT) on Friday, it had discovered the presence of 23 Chinese aircraft which include Su-30 fighters and drones operating off northern and central Taiwan and towards the island’s southwest.
Chinese Aircraft Cross the Taiwan Strait’s Median Line
Out of the total aircraft detected, 13 planes violated the Taiwan Strait’s median line or areas within its proximity, coordinating with Chinese naval vessels to execute “joint combat readiness patrols,” the Taiwanese Ministry added.
Previously, the strait’s median line had functioned as an informal barrier between the two powers. However, Chinese aircraft now routinely cross this line. From China’s perspective, the line’s existence is not recognized.
In response to these activities, Taiwan deployed its forces to oversee, according to its Defence Ministry. Meanwhile, China’s Defence Ministry has yet to react on this matter.
Activity Coincides with U.S.-China Dialogue
The detected activity surfaced at a time when the U.S. National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, and Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, are set to meet in Bangkok. Both officials plan to make strides on a pledge made by the top leaders of the world’s largest economies to further enhance their dialogue.
The meeting between the officials is set to occur a little over two months after U.S President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping convened for about four hours during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The summit took place in San Francisco.
During their meeting, Presidents Biden and Jinping agreed to institute a presidential hotline, revive military-to-military communications, and implement measures to curb fentanyl production. Despite these advancements, they continued to be at odds over Taiwan, a region which despite lacking formal diplomatic ties has significant support from the U.S.
The Future of Taiwan Highlighted in Discussions
China’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement explaining that the topic of Taiwan would be integrated into the discussion. The island nation made headlines when it elected a new president, Lai Ching-te, from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party earlier this month.
China views President Lai, who is scheduled to officially take office on May 20, as a threatening separatist and has routinely dismissed his efforts to initiate dialogue.
The government of Taiwan maintains that only the people of Taiwan can determine their own future.
