PLA sends record 71 warplanes near Taiwan after US increases military aid

A total of 47 aircraft, including dozens of fighter jets and an anti-submarine plane, cross the median line between the island and mainland China
The operations come days after US President Joe Biden signs defence bill promising closer security ties with Taipei

Taiwan

Lawrence Chungin Taipei

Published: 5:00pm, 26 Dec 2022

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More than 70 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes carried out operations near Taiwan in the 24 hours until 6am on Monday, with more than half crossing the de facto border between the self-ruled island and mainland China.

It is the highest number of PLA aircraft recorded in one day since the island’s defence ministry began making information on daily fly-bys public in 2020 and comes as tensions run high over Taipei’s closer security ties with the US.

The PLA Eastern Theatre Command staged joint combat readiness and firepower strike drills in airspace and waters around Taiwan on Sunday in retaliation for Washington’s approval of increased military aid for the island.

A total of 71 PLA warplanes and seven warships were detected around Taiwan in the period, and 47 crossed the median line, the unofficial border in the Taiwan Strait, and some of them entered Taiwan’s southwest air defence identification zone, Taiwan’s defence ministry said.

According to the ministry’s statement, which included a PLA flight path chart, the warplanes that crossed the de facto border included 12 J-11 fighter jets, six Sukhoi Su-30 fighters, six J-10s, 18 J-16s, one Y-8 early warning aircraft, one Y-8 anti-submarine plane, one KJ-500 early warning plane and two reconnaissance drones.

“The [Taiwanese] armed forces have monitored the situation and tasked combat and air patrol aircraft, navy vessels and land-based missile systems to respond to these activities,” the ministry said.

The mass fly-bys came after US President Joe Biden signed the National Defence Authorisation Act late last week. The defence spending bill includes the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act to increase military aid and security cooperation between the two sides.

In retaliation, the Eastern Theatre Command of the PLA organised joint drills around Taiwan on Sunday.

“It was a resolute response to the escalating collusion and provocation by the United States and Taiwan. The command’s troops will take all necessary measures to firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” command spokesman Colonel Shi Yi said.

Taiwan’s defence ministry called the drills a violation of the peace and stability in the region.

“This again shows that the Chinese Communists merely want to use force to resolve disputes,” it said late on Sunday.

It said security cooperation between Taiwan and the US served to enhance a free and open Indo-Pacific as well as peace and stability in the region.

“We will continue to strengthen our combat readiness in line with the threats from the enemy and our defence needs,” it said, adding the island’s military had “resolution and confidence” in safeguarding Taiwan.

Taiwan has remained a flashpoint in the China-US relationship since the Donald Trump presidency. Washington has moved even closer to Taipei under Biden, who has approved more than 10 arms sales to the island.

Beijing considers Taiwan its territory that must be taken under control, by force if necessary. Like most countries, the US does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state but opposes any attempt to take the island by force.

Tensions peaked after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defied Beijing’s repeated warnings to make a whirlwind visit to Taiwan in early August, a move Beijing considered an endorsement of pro-independence forces on the island.

Soon after Pelosi departed, the PLA launched days of unprecedented live-fire drills around Taiwan.