Taiwan’s defence ministry spotted 21 aircraft entering its monitored airspace as part of China’s ongoing display of military power.
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Taiwan reported a second day of Chinese air force incursions into its airspace on Thursday, March 23. In the last 24 hours, Taiwan’s defence ministry spotted 21 aircraft entering its monitored airspace as part of China’s ongoing display of military power and pressure. For the past 3 years, Taiwan has been complaining about growing military activity near the island. China has been seeking to assert its sovereignty claims over Taiwan, which it views as its own territory.
According to a map released by the defence ministry, seventeen J-10 fighters and four J-16 fighters flew into the southwestern corner of Taiwan’s airspace. The J-10s flew close to the Chinese coastline, while the J-16s flew close to Taiwan-controlled Pratas Island. The Pratas Islands are lightly defended yet are very strategically placed at the top of the South China Sea.
On Wednesday, March 1, 2023, Taiwan’s defence ministry spotted 19 Chinese air force planes in its airspace. The Chinese aircraft seem to be flying in Taiwan’s ADIZ, not its territorial airspace. The ADIZ, or Air Defense Identification Zone, is a border area that Taiwan patrols and monitors. None of the Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait, which has served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides.
Taiwan is entirely dependent on the United States for its defence against any possible Chinese aggression. China has warned the United States against “colluding” with Taiwan while explaining that its activities are justified as it wants to defend its territorial integrity.
TAIWAN-CHINA
China and Taiwan are two separate political entities with complex and intertwined histories. China considers Taiwan to be a part of its territory and maintains the “One China” policy, which asserts that there is only one China and Taiwan is a part of it. On the other hand, Taiwan maintains that it is an independent sovereign state with its own government, economy, and military.
The origins of the Taiwan-China conflict date back to the Chinese Civil War, which ended in 1949 with the victory of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland. Taiwan, earlier known as Formosa, is where the defeated Chinese Nationalist government fled and established the Republic of China (ROC) as a separate government when the Communist Party seized control of mainland China. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has claimed Taiwan through its “one China” policy, reiterating that Taiwan must be unified with the mainland.
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, has held out as an independent nation. The ROC was the only ‘China’ recognised by theUnited Nationsuntil 1971, when it became the non-communist frontier against the PRC during the cold war. In 1971, Richard Nixon inaugurated ties with the PRC through secret diplomacy, and the PRC emerged as the ‘only’ China. The US has a policy of “strategic diplomacy” towards Taiwan; it has ties with the country, yet it subscribes to the PRC’s “one China policy”, US support for the one-China policy, however, is premised on China not attacking Taiwan.
In recent years, the U.S.-China relationship has become increasingly strained, with disputes over trade, human rights, and geopolitical influence. The Taiwan issue has also been a source of tension between the two countries. The U.S. has continued to support Taiwan through arms sales, diplomatic exchanges, and other means and has expressed concern about China’s increasing military activities in the Taiwan Strait.
LATEST DEVELOPMENT
Following reports of large-scale incursions by the Chinese air force, the United States has approved the potential sale of new weapons to Taiwan worth $619 million. The US Department of Defense stated that the proposed sale would contribute to the recipient’s capability to provide for the defence of its sovereignty. The arms sale is likely to cause tension between the US and China.