China’s growing belligerence in the Western Pacific is worrisome not just to Taiwan. The United States and Japan are also facing the threat by stepping up their military cooperation efforts.
Three carrier ships advance in formation. On the flanks are two American vessels, but the one in the center is flying the Japanese flag.
This footage is from a six-day long joint exercise by the US and Japanese navies, which started on January 17 south of Okinawa. Two US aircraft carriers, USS Carl Vinson and USS Abraham Lincoln took part in the drills, with a third carrier, USS Ronald Reagan, deployed nearby. A number of other ships took part in the exercise, including amphibious assault ships and helicopter destroyers. Experts view the maneuvers as a response to the Chinese navy’s growing assertiveness in the region.
Taiwanese lawmaker Wang Ting-yu says that together with the USS Ronald Reagan, the US now has three carrier groups deployed in the vicinity of China.
Perhaps as a response to the exercise, China sent 39 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone on Sunday. This included 24 J-16 and 10 J-10 multirole fighters. It’s the second highest number of planes entering in a single day since reports became publicly available.
Taiwanese interceptors stationed in Taitung were seen taking off on high alert until late at night.
Lawmaker Tsai Shih-ying says Chinese planes were conducting exercises southwest of Taiwan, and that Taiwan’s airplanes and missile tracking systems worked as expected.
Taiwan’s defense ministry announced in a report to lawmakers that it has finished deploying Tienkung anti-air missile systems in the southwestern part of Taiwan.
Wang says that pressure from China came predominantly from the west in the past, but the eastern coast of Taiwan is now a focal point for defense measures as well.
With China’s aerial incursions continuing into 2022, Taiwan is ensuring that it’s always ready to respond.