| 5.7.22

Chinese Military Aircraft Make Large Incursion Into Taiwan's Air Defense Zone - ‘Ukraine May Be East Asia Tomorrow’

Are you concerned about provocations by China’s military against Taiwan?

Chinese military aircraft made the largest incursion into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in several months on Friday, prompting the Taiwanese air force to scramble fighters to challenge the intrusion.
This comes amid growing fears that the People’s Republic of China may use military force in an attempt to compel Taiwan’s unification with the mainland, as the Chinese Communist Party regards the independent nation as a breakaway province.
Those concerns are heightened as the ongoing intrusions occur against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine. Taiwan has been on elevated alert since Russia launched its invasion, and while there aren’t imminent signs China may follow suit, there remains a substantial risk that the CCP may see that ongoing threat to global stability in Europe as an opportunity to pursue its own longstanding geopolitical goals in East Asia.

The 18 People’s Liberation Army Air Force aircraft that entered Taiwan’s ADIZ on Friday included a dozen fighters, a pair of bombers, and several aircraft that serve in electronic warfare, airborne early warning, and anti-submarine roles.
Like many prior intrusions, they flew through the southwestern portion of Taiwan’s ADIZ near the Bashi Channel ― a major sea lane that separates Taiwan from the Philippines.
Friday’s intrusion is the largest since 39 Chinese aircraft flew through the same area on January 23rd. Since Taiwan’s defense ministry began publicly reporting such intrusions in September 2020, the largest flight that has been recorded was 56 Chinese aircraft on October 4, 2021, which was part of a four-day period in which 149 Chinese military planes entered Taiwan’s ADIZ.
The provocative flights into Taiwan’s ADIZ aren’t the only militaristic muscle flexing the CCP has engaged in of late, as last week eight Chinese naval vessels, including an aircraft carrier, sailed through the Miyako Strait between Taiwan and the Japanese island chain that includes Okinawa, where there are significant U.S. military bases.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that if leading world powers fail to mount a sufficient response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, China may interpret that as a lack of resolve to stand against a future effort to invade Taiwan. Kishida said, “Ukraine may be East Asia tomorrow,” and added:

“Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is critical not only for Japan’s security but also for the stability of international society.”

Taiwan’s foreign ministry thanked Kishida for his comments on preserving stability in the Taiwan Strait and said they “not only reflect the aspirations of democratic countries but also win the recognition and approval of the international community.”
China’s foreign ministry responded on Friday as a spokesman said, “If Japan really wants peace and stability in East Asia it should immediately stop provoking confrontation between big powers and do more to help increase the trust between regional countries and promote regional peace and stability.”
CIA Director William Burns spoke at an event in D.C. on Saturday hosted by the Financial Times and said the resistance Russia has faced in Ukraine and around the world is “affecting [China’s] calculation” about Taiwan but added, “I don’t for a minute think that it’s eroded Xi’s determination over time to gain control over Taiwan.”

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— Eric Revell

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