China sent eleven warplanes into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone on Tuesday. That’s the largest number of Chinese warplanes to enter the zone in August. One Taiwanese scholar says China is ramping up its presence in the Taiwan Strait because it’s unhappy with Taiwan’s recently warming ties with other nations.
On August 17, eleven Chinese air force planes entered Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). That was the largest Chinese incursion into the zone in August. Taiwan’s air force dispatched its own jets to intercept the Chinese planes, while surface-to-air missiles on the ground monitored the situation.
China’s Eastern Theater Command said on social media that the maneuvers were part of military exercises to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait. It said it was responding to “Taiwanese separatist provocations.”
The very next day, the Taiwan air force reportedly spotted another Chinese plane in Taiwan’s ADIZ. Defense Ministry Spokesperson Shih Shun-wen said that the air force had its eyes on the situation and was ready to respond as needed.
Associate Research Fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research Su Tzu-yun says that Taiwan’s recently warming ties with other nations have left China feeling snubbed, and that’s why it’s ramping up its presence in the region.
In response, Taiwan’s top China policy making body, the Mainland Affairs Council, urged China to stop its aggressive behavior. It says that Taiwan cannot be strong-armed into compliance.