BackTaiwan detects 36 Chinese PLA aircraft around border
Taiwan detected 36 Chinese China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and 3 People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels
PremiumThe Taiwan government has detected 36 Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and three vessels from the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in the vicinity of the island on Saturday. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense in a tweet shared information about the Chinese interference.
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense tweeted, "36 PLA aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels around our surrounding region were detected today (Nov. 12, 2022) until 1700(GMT 8). #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded to these activities with aircraft in CAP, naval vessels, and land-based missile systems."
"21 of the detected aircraft (J-10*4, J-11*6, J-16*4, CH-4 UCAV RECCE, BZK-005 UAV RECCE, BZK-007 UAV RECCE, Y-8 ASW and H-6*3) had flown on the east part of the median line of the Taiwan Strait and our SW ADIZ, flight paths as illustrated," the ministry added
Tensions between Taipei and Beijing have been on the rise, especially since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in August this year.
China considers Taiwan a part of its territory and has not renounced the use of force in acquiring it. Taiwan, however, considers itself an independent democratic country and renounces any efforts by China to claim it as its own.
"The entire military should devote all its energy to and carry out all its work for combat readiness, enhance its capability to fight and win," Chinese President Xi Jing Ping was recently quoted as saying by state-owned media outlet, Xinhua.
Xinhua's report added, "Xi instructed the armed forces to thoroughly study, publicize and implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and take concrete actions to further modernize national defence and the military."
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in a statement to The Atlantic has expressed a genuine threat of Chinese invasion.
"If the [People's Liberation Army] wants to do something drastic, [Chinese President] Xi has to weigh the costs. He has to think twice," Tsai was quoted as saying to the former White House official by RT news.
Taiwan, however, expects the western countries to bankroll its military to fight off a potential invasion by China. While speaking to RT news, Tsai said, "The Western countries, particularly the US, are helping Ukraine. What we see from the Ukraine war is Western countries get together and help Ukraine to fight."
Meanwhile, 69-year-old Xi Jinping secured a historic third term as China's President last month while stacking the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee with loyalists. He has now cemented his role as the most powerful leader since Communist Party founder Mao Zedong.
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