The military tracked Chinese warplanes and responded as they encroached on Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) twice in the past four days, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday.
Chinese fighter jets and bombers encroached on the nation’s ADIZ on Saturday last week and again on Monday, the ministry said.
On Monday, 10 aircraft — four J-16 multirole fighters, four J-10 multirole fighters, a KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft and a Y-8 marine patrol aircraft — simultaneously approached Taiwan’s southwestern ADIZ from opposite directions before turning back, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense
The Japanese Ministry of Defense said that it also identified two Y-9 aircraft — one configured for reconnaissance and the other for electronic warfare — to Taiwan’s east.
Ministry spokesman Major General Shih Shun-wen (史順文) at a news conference said that the military successfully monitored the aircraft, and responded appropriately and effectively.
The military’s reaction to Chinese encroachment is determined by regulations on strategic and operational readiness, he said.
As a general principle, the military overestimates enemy capabilities, and generates a response that can anticipate and potentially block multiple, simultaneous hostile moves, Shih said.
The military avoids the “attrition trap” by varying its incursion responses by using a “high-low mix” of jets, slower aircraft, air-defense missile systems and electronic warfare, Air Force Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Huang Chih-wei (黃志偉) said.
Regarding the Japanese defense ministry’s statement, Huang said that each nation has its own criteria for disclosing defense information, but added that all threats to Taiwan were successfully monitored that day.
Association of Strategic Foresight research fellow Chieh Chung (揭仲) said that the incursions were Beijing’s way of showing its displeasure with the US, not immediate military threats.
Recent activity has been consistent with Beijing’s pattern of conducting a high-profile show of force when there is a development in US-China or Taiwan-US ties that it does not like, he said.
The Chinese aircraft were reportedly flying toward one another, but not conducting highly threatening maneuvers when circling Taiwan from opposite directions, he said, citing publicly available information.
On May 11, 2018, three formations of Chinese aircraft and ships circled Taiwan in the north, east and south, with the nearest observed aircraft only 56km from the naval base in Yilan County’s Suao Township (蘇澳), he said.
Two of the formations flew toward each other to encircle Taiwan’s eastern ADIZ, between the Bashi Channel and the Miyako Strait.
Two H-6K bombers, one Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft and one Tu-154 electronic warfare aircraft comprised the northbound group, while two H-6K bombers comprised the southbound one, he said.
The aircraft flew around Taiwan’s eastern airspace seven times from mid-April to late May 2018, Chieh said.
The military activity was a response to then-premier William Lai (賴清德) — now vice president — publicly describing himself as “a political worker for Taiwanese independence,” he said.
This story has been modified since it was first published.
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
MEET AND GREET: The White House, which called the interaction ‘just a handshake,’ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Biden planned to visit Taiwan’s envoy to the APEC summit, Lin Hsin-i (林信義), on Friday invited US President Joe Biden to visit Taiwan. During the APEC Leaders’ Informal Dialogue, Lin, who represented President William Lai (賴清德) at the summit, spoke with Biden and expressed gratitude to the outgoing US president for his contribution to improving bilateral ties between Taipei and Washington over the past four years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Lin and Biden exchanged views during the conversation, with Lin extending an invitation to Biden to visit Taiwan, it said. Biden is to step down in January next year, when US president-elect Donald Trump is
RSS