Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Saturday it had detected 41 Chinese planes around the island, after multiple intrusions since the inauguration in Taipei of new President Lai Ching-te. Of these 41 military aircraft, “ 32 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait », Indicated the ministry in a press release, in reference to the line which bisects this 180 kilometer wide strait between the island and mainland China.
Seven Chinese ships were also detected around Taiwan in the 24 hours before 6 a.m. (10 p.m. GMT). The ministry adds that it has “ monitored the situation and reacted accordingly ».
Taiwan: tension rises as China accuses new president of pushing the island towards “war”
This Chinese incursion into the vicinity of Taiwan comes after China included the death penalty for cases ” particularly serious “, in judicial directives made public Friday on the criminal sanctions planned against supporters ” irreducible » of Taiwan’s independence, state media reported.
A ” gray zone tactics »
As a reminder, China considers that the island of Taiwan, governed autonomously, is part of its territory and says it is ready to reconquer it by force if necessary. President Lai Ching-te, who is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party and took office on May 20, stuck to the position of Ms. Tsai Ing-wen, his predecessor, that the island is already de facto independent and therefore does not need to officially proclaim it.
In recent years, the Middle Kingdom has increased its military pressure on the island by sending warplanes and ships almost daily, which experts say constitutes a ” gray zone tactics “, that is to say actions of intimidation which do not amount to acts of war strictly speaking.
Other analysts also point out that these latest incursions are a response to joint US-Philippine military exercises that took place in April in the South China Sea. These exercises simulated the recapture of islands occupied by the enemy in this area.
(With AFP)
