Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen slammed a “provocative” encroachment of Chinese aircraft.
The Diplomat
Date: April 05, 2019
By: Nick Aspinwall
The sense of enmity on the waters of the Taiwan Strait has risen significantly following
Image Credit: Presidential Office, Republic of China (Taiwan)
what the Taiwanese government called a “reckless and provocative” flight by two Chinese fighter jets into Taiwan’s airspace last Sunday.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shenyang J-11 fighters crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait, violating what Taiwan’s foreign ministry called a “long-held tacit agreement” in a tweet. Chinese aircraft conduct regular operations in the Strait and often approach Taiwanese airspace, but they rarely cross the median line separating China and Taiwan.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen responded by vowing a “forceful expulsion” of Chinese fighters should they cross the median line again. During a Thursday inspection tour of an air force base in Chiayi, Tsai instructed pilots to respond to future Chinese incursions with force and vowed to “fight alongside you all to the last” in defense of Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month.On the morning of Sunday, March 31, Taiwan’s air force responded to the PLAAF jets by scrambling its own jets and airing warnings. The Chinese jets then retreated into their own airspace, according to Taiwan’s defense ministry. [FULL STORY]
