Additional alert in Taiwan warns of passing Chinese military planes

The Taiwanese air force went into action because of the passage of nine planes from the Chinese army. The reconnaissance aircraft was warned to leave the island’s so-called Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), a standard response for such situations.

In response to the Ukrainian crisis, the Taiwanese government has called for increased vigilance. China views Taiwan as a renegade province, which must be brought back under Beijing’s control by force if necessary.

Taiwan says China is increasingly flying through the ADIZ. Chinese authorities do not recognize this area, which also covers a small part of mainland China. The nine planes did not approach the island today. According to the Taiwan Ministry of Defense, there were 961 air defense zone violations last year, a recording†

“Taiwan is not Ukraine”

Unlike the escalation in Ukraine, Taiwan says no unusual activity has been seen in China. According to Beijing authorities, the situation is completely different. “Taiwan is not Ukraine,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said yesterday. “Taiwan has always been part of China.”

The spokesperson responded to recent statements by British Prime Minister Johnson. He explicitly compared the crisis in Ukraine to tensions between Taiwan and China. If the West doesn’t live up to its support for Ukraine, “the echo will also be heard in Asia, in Taiwan,” Johnson said last week.

US President Biden said in October last year that the United States would intervene if China attacked Taiwan. Washington or Brussels have never made such a commitment to Ukraine.

China’s assertiveness appears to be gaining momentum. For decades, the country was mostly inward looking, but that time now seems to be over. This video also explains the relationship between China and Taiwan: