On October 1, 2019, a military parade was held in Tiananmen Square to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and a military aircraft formation consisting of one HY-6 tanker and two J-10 fighter jets flew over Beijing. Fly over the sky.
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taipei’s Ministry of Defense said Saturday that more than 30 Chinese military aircraft had been detected around the island in 24 hours, the largest show of force around the island since the country’s crucial election. did.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the autonomous island under its control.
Ahead of Taiwan’s Jan. 13 opinion poll, the Chinese government told voters that current vice presidential candidate Lai Qingde, whom China calls a “dangerous separatist,” would threaten “war” if elected party leader. He warned voters that it would lead to “deterioration and decline.”
Mr. Lai nevertheless won the election, securing an unprecedented third term for the Democratic Progressive Party, which has long rejected China’s territorial claims to Taiwan.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement that in the 24 hours ending at 6 a.m. Saturday (2:00 p.m. Friday), 33 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels were detected in the vicinity of Taiwan.
It was announced that 13 of the aircraft had “crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.”
Taiwan’s military “monitored the situation and deployed (air patrol) aircraft, naval vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activity.”
Two Chinese balloons were also spotted passing through the delicate Taiwan Strait that separates China and Taiwan.
The show of force also came after two US lawmakers visited Taipei to meet with President-elect Lai and his running mate, Xiao Bi-jin, who have been criticized by the Chinese government as a “pro-independence duo.”
In the past, Mr. Lai has called himself a “pragmatic activist for Taiwanese independence” and has spoken out about this issue, which is a red line that China must not cross.
But he has softened his stance and vowed to follow President Tsai Ing-wen’s path of maintaining the status quo while strengthening the island’s defense capabilities.
Two days after his election, the Pacific nation of Nauru announced it would switch diplomatic ties from Taipei to Beijing, reducing Taiwan’s already depleted list of allies to 12.
One of them, Tuvalu, is currently in the spotlight after its pro-Taiwan prime minister just lost his seat, according to election results announced on Saturday.
