Taiwan claims to have dispatched fighter aircraft into its air defense zone to fend off 30 Chinese airplanes.
Monday’s intrusion was the largest since January.
A few days earlier, US Vice President Joe Biden had cautioned China not to invade Taiwan.
And on the same day, a US diplomat met with Taiwanese officials to discuss security.
China has been flying planes a lot more in recent months. The country says that this is part of military exercises and maneuvers.
As a result, tensions in the area have risen as a result of these actions.
Taiwan as a province that can be easily taken by force if needed, says China.
During his first trip to Asia as president, Vice President Biden brought up the recent air incursions.
By flying so close to Taiwan, China is already “flirting with danger,” he warned.
And he gave China his strongest threat yet, saying that if China invaded the island, the US would respond with force.
“Strategic ambiguity” regarding Taiwan has been a long-standing strategy of the United States.
Because of this, the United States was able to keep its reaction to a crisis purposely unclear.
The latest incident
The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense spoke about the ongoing incident.
Also 22 fighters are involved, along with electronic warfare, early warning, and anti-submarine aircraft.
An air defense identification zone (ADIZ) map given by Taiwan’s defense ministry shows the aircraft traveling northeast of the Pratas Islands.
Taiwan would have seen this as an act of aggression if the aircraft had entered its airspace, but they didn’t.
For national security reasons, a government may establish ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) zones outside of its borders and sovereign airspace.
Self-declared airspace is theoretically still in the hands of the United States.
For more than a year, Taiwan has reported that Chinese aircraft have flown into the ADIZ.
Practice what the island nation calls “grey zone warfare.” The goal is to stress and wear out the military of the island nation.
People thought that Taiwan’s government should not move toward a formal declaration of independence because of the invasions.
Military exercises for China’s sovereignty as defense.
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