The situation between China and Taiwan is escalating. In the latest military exercise, China sent 62 more fighter planes to the small island state than ever before.
China has sent 62 fighter planes towards the East Asian island republic of Taiwan – more than ever before this year within one day. Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense announced this on Saturday. 47 of the planes entered Taiwan’s air defense zone. The previous record was 45 planes on May 15. China sends military planes towards Taiwan almost every day.
On Thursday, China’s People’s Liberation Army began a two-day military exercise around Taiwan, during which a blockade of the island was apparently also to be simulated. The military exercise took place three days after the inauguration of Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te. His Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the presidential election in January and advocates a course critical of Beijing. The ruling Communist Party in Beijing accuses the DPP of separatism.
China considers Taiwan a breakaway province
Lai’s inaugural speech was seen in China as a “commitment to independence”. In it, Lai announced a “glorious era” for Taiwan’s democracy. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said on Friday that Lai was threatening the one-China principle, which would put “our fellow citizens in Taiwan in a dangerous situation of war and danger”.
China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, although independent and democratically elected governments have been in power there for decades. The leadership in Beijing has already threatened several times to unite the island, which has a population of more than 23 million, and the mainland by military force. In addition to regular exercises by the armed forces, fighter planes fly towards Taiwan almost daily to demonstrate the military power of the People’s Liberation Army.
Source: Stern
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