Global Times
Date: 2020/9/19
By Hu Xijin

The Taiwan-based Central News Agency reported on Saturday that another 19 fighter jets and bombers from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) flew across the so-called "middle line" of the Taiwan Straits on Saturday and entered airspace close to the southwestern and northwestern parts of the island. It was unprecedented to see PLA aircraft fly close to the island of Taiwan on such a large scale for two consecutive days. 

I believe it is the PLA's practical rehearsal for an island takeover. It clearly declared that the Chinese mainland no longer tolerates the underhanded collusion between the US government and the island's secessionist forces. Such collusion has become the mainland's prior and principal target to strike. It must be stopped otherwise the PLA will continue to upgrade its military operations, until an ultimate showdown. 

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused the Chinese mainland of "military blustering" on Friday, while the island's authorities blamed Beijing for "infringing on the peaceful status quo in the Taiwan Straits" on Saturday. The Chinese mainland doesn't need to pay any attention to the nonsense-talking. 

The reason for the rising cross-Straits tensions is that Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen abandoned the "1992 Consensus" after taking office and changed the situation in the Taiwan Straits. Besides, the US has elevated its political and military ties with the island by approving the Taiwan Travel Act and increasing its arms sales to the island.     [FULL  STORY]