China carried out “strike drills” around Taiwan’s sea and airspace on Sunday after the United States (US) passed legislation that expands its security cooperation with the self-governing island, which China claims to be part of its own territory.
According to the Taiwanese military, a total of 71 aircraft sorties were part of the drills, out of which, 47 crossed the Strait line and entered the island’s southwest airspace. It also detected seven ships that “continued to operate around the Taiwan Strait.”
As part of its response, the Taiwanese National Army employed “mission aircraft, ships and shore-mounted missile systems” to “closely monitor and respond” to the incursion.
In a statement released yesterday, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) spokesperson Senior Colonel Shi Yi, said that its Eastern Theater Command had carried out a “joint combat-readiness security patrol and joint firepower striking exercise,” which involved “troops of multiple services and arms in the waters and airspace around the Taiwan Island.”
He pointed out that the drills were “a firm response” to the US’ “escalation of provocations [...] in collusion with the Taiwan authorities.” Shi also stressed that the PLA would “take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
While the PLA did not specify the exact location of the drills, photos released with the statement showed that the H-6 strategic bomber and the Type 052C guided missile destroyer were part of the drills.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) said that China’s actions “once again highlight its mentality of resolving differences by force and destroying regional peace and stability”.
71 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected in our surrounding region by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities. pic.twitter.com/DagRhnN69F
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) December 26, 2022
“The Chinese Communist’s ‘military intimidation’ acts are obviously aimed at cowing our people and are not conducive to [China’s] international image,” it added, pledging to continue boosting its military.
China’s retaliatory drills come after the Joe Biden administration on Saturday signed the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) for 2023, which stipulates that Washington will give Taiwan $10 billion in security assistance and fast-tracked weapons procurement and $2 billion as military loans over the next five years, and will increase arms sales to the Taiwan island.
Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in an announcement on Wednesday that the legislation “will be one of the most consequential in years [...] for setting the theatre for real deterrence by implementing a more resilient strategy for Taiwan should China continue pursuing a collision course toward war.”
In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on the same day that it “expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to the legislation as it “contains negative content related to China.”
It accused the document of exaggerating the “China threat,” disregarding facts, violating the one-China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communiques, sending “wrong” signals to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, causing “serious damage to the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait,” and interfering in China’s “internal affairs.” It also said the NDAA attacks and smeas the Communist Party of China, calling it “a serious political provocation.”
8 PLA aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected in our surrounding region by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities. pic.twitter.com/DewRONXkpq
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) December 25, 2022
“The Chinese people see very clearly the sinister intention of the United States to suppress and contain China’s development,” the statement said. “Taiwan is China’s Taiwan, and [...] the US should immediately stop trying to “contain China with Taiwan,” it stated.
It further urged the US to “abandon the Cold War zero-sum mentality and ideological bias, view China’s development and China-US relations objectively and rationally, and refrain from implementing negative clauses related to China in the relevant bills.”
“China will take firm and forceful measures to resolutely defend its sovereignty, security and development interests,” it warned in conclusion.
Only two weeks ago, Taiwan’s MOD reported that China flew a sortie of 29 aircraft, including 18 nuclear-capable H-6 bombers, into the southwest region of its air defence identification zone (ADIZ).
It marked the largest incursion by the PLA’s nuclear-capable planes over a span of 24 hours since the island nation began releasing daily data on Chinese fighter incursions in 2020.
China is known to usually increase the number of fighter jets it sends into Taiwanese airspace in retaliation against events that it deems provocative.
For instance, following the United Kingdom (UK) Trade Minister, Greg Hands’ visit to Taipei last month, the PLA sent a sortie of 46 warplanes toward the country which it claims to be part of its own territory.
Similarly, after United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in early August, the PLA stepped up its incursions into Taiwanese territory to an unprecedented level, sending warships, missiles, and fighter jets into the waters and skies around Taiwan.
The Defense Post reported on 1 September that the PLA Air Force made 446 incursions into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in August alone, calling it PLA’s “largest and most aggressive exercises since the mid-1990s.”