Chinese warplane activity near Taiwan hit a three-month high on Monday as a British minister visited the island, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Monday that 62 of China’s People’s Liberation Army’s warplanes were detected in the “surrounding region” and that 32 of them crossed the median line or flew within the southwest corner of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
An ADIZ is an area where a country requires foreign aircraft to identify itself, but the concept is not covered under any treaties and has no international regulations. While China’s flights in Taiwan’s ADIZ have been hyped up by Taiwan and Western media, before very recently, they were typically not close to the island.
But that changed after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) visited Taiwan at the beginning of August. In response, China launched its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan and began flying warplanes across the median line, an informal barrier that separates the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, which was drawn by the US in the 1950s.
Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on August 2, and according to Bloomberg, Monday’s flights marked the most Chinese warplane activity around the island since August 5. It coincided with the arrival of British Trade Policy Minister Greg Hands to Taipei, who is visiting to hold talks with senior officials.
Hands’ visit to Taiwan came not long after Rishi Sunak was sworn in as Britain’s prime minister after Liz Truss stepped down. When running against Truss back in July, Sunak vowed to get tough on China and named Beijing the “biggest-long term threat to Britain.”
The spike in Chinese flights in the region also came as Lithuania opened a trade office in Taiwan despite China’s objection to the move. Since China considers Taiwan to be its own territory, it is against formal ties between the island and other governments. On Tuesday, the US launched formal trade talks with Taiwan, another initiative that has angered Beijing.
The uptick in China’s flights across the median line is unprecedented, as demonstrated by the numbers. According to Japan Times, China flew 302 sorties across the median line in August. Between 1954 and August 2020, China flew across the barrier only four times. Between September 2020 and Pelosi’s visit, Chinese warplanes made the flight 23 times.
The uptick in Chinese flights after August 2020 was in response to the Trump administration sending the highest-level cabinet officials to Taiwan since Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979.
So NATO (aka US puppet) poked and prodded the rather worn & tattered Bear until it reached out a claw and bloodied Ukraine. Was that a good thing? Did that help Europe (no), did it help Ukraine — oh, well, lots of $$$ going that way. Too bad about those bodies on the ground. But, to continue, so now, naked US (well, explicitly developing an Eastern-oriented version of NATO), is poke, poke poking the not-so-worn or tattered Dragon. Oooo — what could possibly happen next?
“So NATO (aka US puppet) poked and prodded the rather worn & tattered Bear until it reached out a claw and bloodied Ukraine.” So because Russia did not like what NATO was doing they attacked a non NATO nation to get even?
“to get even”
Jesus.
Ask Agnieszka. She is the one who claimed that Russia attacked Ukraine (non-NATO) because Russia did not like what NATO was doing.
no. you are he one who said “to get even”.
but russia made their red-lines very clear before they acted.
>remove uncle sam bio-weapon labs or else
>stop aggressing the russian speaking regions of eastern ukraine or else
>keep NATO out of ukraine or else
No read my comment again. I said to get even with a question mark. Anyway, blaming NATO for Russia;s decision to attacked a free nation is insane. It reminds me of the people who like to blame the US for Japan’s attack on Pearl.
Your three points are invalid. 1. Why would the West put a bio-weapon it Ukraine? 2. Russia caused the problems in Eastern Ukraine and 3. Ukraine has the right to join any alliance as they choose to.
really, you never saw any articles regarding the number of uncle sam bio-weapon labs in ukraine complete with a map of their locations? it was freakin common knowledge. under-secretary of state victoria nuland was even subpoenaed and testified before a senate committee regarding their existence.
now i am out of this because i think you are just one more contrary man and there enough of them on the internet already.
No I didn’t see that. Maybe I missed that. Send me some creditable links so that I can read up on it.
And you’re asking was it to get even. Jesus.
Well is was an attempt at sarcasm, which I admit failed.
Not defending invasion. However, NATO “promised” it would not expand east of Germany. Then it did. Again and again. (US/NATO is like Rome: however we interpret treaty is how things should be and of course this can change as we interpret events). “Not like” does not convey sense of anger and concern felt by Russia. In the way-back machine, 1999, Clinton trumped up Serbia campaign: NATO supreme commander demanded NATO troops bomb Russian troops guarding air base in Kosovo but local (British!!) commander on ground refused. This started current anti-Russian path.
“However, NATO “promised” it would not expand east of Germany” No NATO never made that promise. If you disagree, I will be more than willing to accept documentation. With the exception of Putin making that statement of course.
Your thoughts?…. Perhaps Russia was trying to avert a possibly larger confrontation?….
Maybe if one looks hard enough one could find a historical example where starting a small war avoided a bigger war. Most big wars are started by small ones.
It’s anybodies guess but…. It seems to me this could be a rather dangerous flashpoint…Though I hope that we can stave this off until after the holidays… Joking aside, it concerns me…