With tensions high between the US and China, both countries are continuing military flights near Taiwan and in the South China Sea. On Monday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said three US military planes and one Chinese plane entered the southwestern portion of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
On Sunday, Taiwan said seven Chinese military planes and one US aircraft entered Taiwan’s southwester ADIZ. It’s rare that Taiwan acknowledges the presence of US military aircraft, and Sunday was the first time since mid-September that Taipei did so.
An ADIZ is an airspace where a country requires aircraft to identify themselves in the interest of national security. The US created the first ADIZs in the 1950s and established Taiwan’s ADIZ, as well as ones for Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.
In 2013, China established an ADIZ over the East China Sea, which the US challenged by flying B-52 bombers.
Chinese military flights near Taiwan stepped up in September when then-US Undersecretary for Economic Affairs Keith Krach visited the island. Krach’s trip was the second high-level visit to the island by the Trump Administration.
In August, then-US Health Secretary Alex Azar visited Taiwan, making him the highest-level US official to make the trip since Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei.
With the Biden administration prioritizing Asia to counter Chinese influence, support for Taiwan and US military activity in the region is expected to continue. A few days into Biden’s presidency, a US aircraft carrier leading a strike group entered the South China Sea.
The US ADIZ: 14 CFR Part 99 — civilian traffic only must conform
§ 99.1 Applicability.
(a) This subpart prescribes rules for operating all aircraft (except for Department of Defense and law enforcement aircraft) in a defense area, or into, within, or out of the United States through an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) designated in subpart B
China’s ADIZ is more stringent, but generally not conformed to. There are no international requirements. Currently Taiwan is making a big deal of its ADIZ, which is okay with China. The latter does not scramble aircraft when the US enters its ADIZ. Taiwan scrambles fighter aircraft when China enters its ADIZ, thus wearing out its old fleet, which is fine with China.
The US ADIZ: 14 CFR Part 99 — civilian traffic only must conform
§ 99.1 Applicability.
(a) This subpart prescribes rules for operating all aircraft (except for Department of Defense and law enforcement aircraft) in a defense area, or into, within, or out of the United States through an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) designated in subpart B
China’s ADIZ is more stringent, but generally not conformed to. There are no international requirements. Currently Taiwan is making a big deal of its ADIZ, which is okay with China. The latter does not scramble aircraft when the US enters its ADIZ. Taiwan scrambles fighter aircraft when China enters its ADIZ, thus wearing out its old fleet, which is fine with China.
Just to emphasize the US position on the ADIZ zone it pioneered, this from SecState Kerry, Nov 23, 2013 after China established its ECS ADIZ.
When the US grants Hawaii independence, I am sure China will consider the same for Taiwan. Let’s see. Hawaii is how many nautical miles from the nearest point in the continental US?
China doesn’t need to “grant” Taiwan independence. It hasn’t been ruled from Beijing since 1895, and not very often before that.
Control is one of several sovereignty issues.
No matter what the phony communist dictatorship Government of mainland China does, the Democratic Government of Formosa /Taiwan will have the full protection of its sovereignty of the USA and its people.
I heard disturbing news too today. American aircraft are flying all over the waters near the shores of the United States of America. Some are near Cuba and the Bahamas. Convene the UN Security Council. (Do they convene during pandemics? Does it matter?)