The United States Condemned China’s Provocative Military Actions Near Taiwan: “We Urge That They Cease Their Pressures”

Xi Jinping’s regime deployed 38 warplanes on Friday, 39 on Saturday, and at least 16 on Sunday in the autonomous island’s air defense identification zone. Washington warned of the risk of miscalculation and damage to stability

The United States lashed out at China on Sunday for its “provocative” and “destabilizing” military activity, a day after Chinese fighter jets and bombers made their biggest foray into Taiwan’s air defense zone.

The Chinese military flew over 16 warplanes in waters south of Taiwan on Sunday, as the United States expressed concern over what it called “provocative military action” by China near the autonomous island that China claims.

Previously, China sent 38 warplanes to the area on Friday and 39 aircraft on Saturday, the most in a single day since Taiwan began publishing reports on the flights in September 2020 . The flights occurred in both day and night departures, and it was unclear whether China planned more flights on Sunday night.

In the US State Department statement, spokesman Ned Price warned that China’s military activity near Taiwan poses a risk of miscalculation and undermines regional peace and stability. ” We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan, ” he added.

He also noted that the United States, which is Taiwan’s largest arms supplier, would continue to help the government maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities. ” The US commitment to Taiwan is rock solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and in the region, ” he said.

China has frequently sent military aircraft to southern Taiwan for more than a year. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said 12 fighters and four other military aircraft entered the air defense identification zone on Sunday.

Hu Xijin, editor of the Global Times , a newspaper under the official People’s Daily, declared yesterday on Twitter: “These planes appearing in the Taiwan Strait are a new ceremony for the Chinese people to celebrate the holidays. If the Taiwanese authorities continue their provocations, there will be more planes on National Day next year . ” The number of Chinese military aircraft entering the Taiwanese ADIZ has increased in recent months, according to the island’s authorities.

On September 24, Taiwan reported that 24 Chinese fighter jets carried out incursions similar to yesterday’s shortly after Taiwan applied to join the Progressive and Comprehensive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), something that Beijing opposes. ” categorically ”.

China and Taiwan were separated in 1949 during a civil war in which Communists seized control of mainland China and rival nationalists established a government on Taiwan, an island of 24 million people located about 100 miles off the eastern coast.

China claims for itself the sovereignty of Taiwan, where the Chinese nationalists withdrew after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. In Beijing’s view, the island is a rebel province for whose reunification it has not ruled out the use of force.