The Taiwanese military has reaffirmed that it will fire on Chinese warplanes and naval vessels if they come within 12 nautical miles of Taiwan’s coast, which marks the beginning of the island’s territorial waters and airspace.
The warning came after eight Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes approached Taiwan’s contiguous zone, which extends 24 nautical miles off the island’s coast.
“If the PLA side continues to ignore our warnings along the way and force their way into our territorial air space and seas, we will actively strike back to safeguard national security,” said Maj. Gen. Lin Wen-huang, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry’s combat planning director.
China has been flying military aircraft closer to Taiwan in response to the island’s growing ties with the US. For example, the PLA used to rarely cross the median line, an unofficial barrier that separates the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. But Since then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) visited Taiwan in August 2022, PLA warplanes have regularly crossed the line.
While China has been flying closer to Taiwan, the Taiwanese government has not reported PLA warplanes flying within the contiguous zone or coming close to its airspace. Taiwanese officials, including Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng, have previously warned that their military would fire on Chinese planes that come within 12 nautical miles of the island’s coast.
In March, Chiu acknowledged that China was flying closer to Taiwan in direct response to the island’s ties with the US. “Beijing has been looking for excuses, such as visits from high-ranking officials from abroad and frequent military exchanges between Taiwan and other countries, to intensify the military threat,” he said.
“. . . we will actively strike back to safeguard national security.”
I don’t think shooting at PRC aircraft is likely to enhance Taiwan’s security. They almost certainly know that in Taipei and probably aren’t reckless enough to actually do it.
Of course, US minions have been know to do suicidally-stupid stuff, so ya never know.
Taiwan’s had it with China’s 8-decade-long ‘country cosplay.’ Both sides know the drill … China rattles its saber, Taiwan feigns playing tough. Then they take a bow, and the world keeps spinning
“…US minions have been know to do suicidally-stupid stuff…” Nailed it and amen! In fact, suicidally-stupid stuff is the only thing US minions are good for. Ukraine and Europe are prominent timely examples. (Sarcasm)
I don’t think the Chinese will be crossing any red lines anytime soon. They haven’t done so in 70 years, so zero reason to start now. But hawks in the defense department? Who knows. We’re already sailing warships through the Taiwan Strait every other day to try and provoke this war…
A poet said”there is some shit I will not eat”-there are red lines.
yes it was Dr. Seuss who said that.
just kidding, it was E.E. Cummings =
https://poets.org/poem/i-sing-olaf-glad-and-big
we will actively strike back to safeguard national security
shooting first is not “striking back”
China knows its own history; Taiwan has been where failing old dynasties have traditionally fled . China also knows everything the US does is done with borrowed money. Borrow and spend Republicans and Democrats are ignorant puppets being pushed into raising debt ceilings.
The trick is how to prod US barbarians who operate without knowing history into borrowing so much money they can’t afford to fix their own railroads or muster sufficient education and heath care to keep the US nation strong.
Keep in mind that Dilma Rousseff, the ex-president of Brazil who was deposed in a US supported coup, is a highly trained economist now president of the new BRICS development bank in Shanghai, China. Her sweet revenge is to help countries under pressure of US hegemony to be strong. Draining US cash while pulling BRICS money out of ballooning US debt is a delicate balancing act barbarian war mongers are too uneducated to see.
Very true; but, the opposing argument sees the advantage of forcing Washington into a 2 front war, …at a time when it is already extremely depleted.
It seems that a 2 front war with the two most powerful opponents one of them armed to the teeth with the most powerful nuclear weapons (now itching to use them) is exactly what Biden and Nuland want. Let’s get the party started, boys! (Sarcasm alert)
Two fronts? Don’t forget Iran, Korea, Africa, and Latin America.
That would be a multi front. Biden is behaving badly, can’t handle domestic affairs and can’t stand up to the Republicans. He thinks the only way to stand up to them is to be more like them than they are like themselves.
Except drop pejorative tense re China and Russia. China has just launched its second modern century after escaping opium wars colonialist shame at loss of sovereignty. One may not like how they did it. And they may wish it could have been more fun. However, the job is done. Gruesome abject poverty has been eliminated in China. What more proof is there of a government that nurtures and cooperates to benefit people?
Russia has been poked and prodded into war;
At this point it is a rattlesnake capable of multiple simultaneous targets and already in mid strike. One then says, “Bad rattlesnake. Bad Boy Putin.” Reality is most of the world sees positive in Russia. Count votes of people and ignore governments afraid of the US.
“Gruesome abject poverty has been eliminated in China.”
Highly unlikely. But they have come a long way.
President Xi says the terrible pain of western colonial drug dealing, war, and dominance has passed into history, along with the usual depression following a dynasty collapse. Now comes the second century of Chinese Communist guarding of human solidarity revitalizing China. Starting from almost universally shared
very moderate prosperity, the next century plan is to build a strong modern socialist nation that still nurtures solidarity among free and imaginative humans colonizing the moon and living happily ever after.
The problem is not so much with what politicians like Xi say, as with the gullible people who believe what politicians like Xi say.
Chinese have been the number one users of the website I manage, ferrocement.com , since about 2001. I also studied China and Russia in graduate school during the Vietnam war era. These are among the facts that prompted me to view Chinese websites for many years now.
I do not believe politicians so mush as look at pictures. I’ve driven US blue highways across the US many times in all directions; There is nothing in the amoral, uncultured US that compares to the grandeur of modern China.
I imagine the maj General will be one of the first put out to pasture if/when the new China-friendly party wins next year as they are strongly likely to. The majority of the people of Taiwan do not appreciate this brinksmanship.
When our naval vessels ply the Straits of Taiwan, do they hug the unofficial median line?
So…..
That 24 mile barrier is no more and they’ve retreated back to 12 and they really mean it this time.
Of course China says this is all about the US as they succeed in expanding China’s control of sea lanes around Taiwan which is a often stated goal in regards to Taiwan and other small countries in that area.
The BS on both sides is getting comical but dangerous.
Like NATO gave Georgia the impression it would back them in any fight with Russia , Russia went into Georgia NATO did jack shit , and the same thing is going to happen to Taiwan the school yard bully America will offer it`s support and when China invades Taiwan America will be no where to be found .