Beijing sent 56 fighter jets into Taiwan’s air defense zone on Oct. 4 in its largest show of strength on record toward the self-ruled island that it claims as its own. The move also marked the fourth day of sustained military harassment against Taiwan that has seen nearly 150 warplanes fly into the zone.
The latest incursion included 34 J-16 fighters and 12 H-6 bombers, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense. An additional four Chinese J-16s appeared in the southwestern part of Taiwan’s “Air Defense Identification Zone”—the buffer area outside the island’s airspace.
For more than a year, tensions across the Taiwan Strait have been intensifying as Beijing heightened its military and diplomatic pressure on the island. The regime’s air force has made over 500 military incursions over the nine months this year, compared to 380 in 2020, according to Taiwanese authorities.
The latest cluster of maneuvers began on Oct. 1—the 72nd anniversary of the regime’s founding. Since then, 149 Chinese warplanes have flown over the territory.
With such activity, Beijing is asserting its military prowess while signaling its resolve to lay claim on Taiwan, experts have said.
Chang Yen-ting, a retired air force lieutenant general from Taiwan, believes that the actions are in part a response to the growing international attention on the democratic island.
The United States, Australia, Britain, and Japan have increasingly called out China’s military aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Taiwan’s fight for greater international space is likely stepping on the CCP’s [Chinese Communist Party’s] red lines,” Chang told The Epoch Times, referring to Beijing’s position that international support for Taiwan constitutes a “red line” that cannot be crossed by other countries.
Wu Ming-chieh, a Taiwan-based military analyst, said the regime may further dial up the temperature in the coming days. As Chinese leader Xi Jinping seeks to secure his third term as the Party’s paramount leader next year, he is likely to present a tougher front to ease domestic pressure, he said.
However, this strategy is not without risk. “The bigger their moves, the more it could backfire,” he said.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki urged Beijing to “cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan.”
China’s “provocative” military activity “is destabilizing, risks miscalculations, and undermines regional peace and stability,” she said. Psaki later added that U.S. officials are also “in touch privately, conveying clear messages through diplomatic channels.”
Faced with U.S. criticism, the Chinese foreign ministry on Monday put the blame on Washington, warning that the arms sales to Taiwan and U.S. warships sailing through the Taiwan Strait would undermine bilateral relations.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said Beijing’s actions have been inflaming tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
