Is rare US military flight over Taiwan a sign of more to come?
- US Navy transport jet emits transponder signal, showing China and others its flight over island
- Report that aircraft stopped at Taiwan airbase rejected by island’s defence ministry
The emission of signals was intended to make the US military presence known to both Beijing and Taipei, an alert that it was deliberately sailing over the Taiwan Strait even though Beijing considered Taiwan its wayward province, observers said.
Chieh Chung, a senior researcher of national security study at the National Policy Foundation, an opposition Kuomintang think tank, said that in addition to social media posts about its military activities, the US had allowed its warplanes and warships in and near the strait to be spotted by military watchers and websites such as Aircraft Spots via transponder systems on board.
“This way, in addition to warning Beijing, it also means to tell other countries that it has increased its military presence in the region,” Chieh said.