(RightWing.org) – In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party established the People’s Republic of China, prompting the nation’s former ruling party to flee to the nearby island nation of Taiwan. China claims the Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name, is a breakaway territory and belongs to mainland China. Tensions between the two nations have increased in recent months, but China recently took an extreme step in the decades-long conflict.
On Thursday, September 23, Taiwan officials reported that a total of 19 Chinese warplanes violated its Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). According to Taipei, the fleet included two nuclear-capable bombers, two anti-submarine aircraft, and a plane equipped with sophisticated electronic warfare gear. The remaining aircraft were fighter jets.
Newsweek: China Fighters and Bombers Return to Skies Around Taiwan: Defense Ministry.https://t.co/DHxTRRjOYc
— USCPF (@USCPF) September 23, 2021
Taipei defense officials activated their missile defense systems to track the aircraft and dispatched fighter jets to divert the fleet to international airspace. It also transmitted radio warnings as part of an effort to ward off any potential aggression.
Taiwan’s National Defense Ministry reported that China had violated its self-declared ADIZ 502 times so far in 2021, a steep rise from the total of about 380 violations in 2020. China and nearby Japan and South Korea also maintain ADIZs.
The stakes are enormously high for Taiwan in its ongoing struggle for self-rule. Will President Joe Biden step up and confront China about its aggressive move, or will he continue to sit on the sidelines and watch?
Copyright 2021, RightWing.org
