New Delhi: According to the recent reports, aircraft and ships of the Chinese military (People’s Liberation Army—PLA) are constantly entering Taiwan’s air defense zone (ADIZ), creating tensions in the region.
Increasing number of Chinese military flights and ships
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense (MND) reported 41 Chinese military aircraft, seven naval ships, and one official ship around its territorial waters as of Thursday morning. Of these, 21 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, and southwestern air defense identification zones (ADIZ).
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The ADIZ is the area where a country identifies and monitors aircraft entering for security reasons. Taiwan’s military claimed that it monitored the situation and took appropriate retaliatory action. The incident is part of a growing trend, as 23 Chinese military aircraft and ships were also spotted a day earlier.
Reaction and allegations by Taiwan’s Foreign Minister
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Lin Chia-lung, in response to these activities, labelled China a ‘regional disruptor.’ The remarks came after dialogue partners such as Taiwan and the US were excluded from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders’ meeting to be held in the Solomon Islands.
Minister Lin stressed that cooperation requires the inclusion of all stakeholders and that excluding anyone would weaken the forum’s ability to address regional challenges.
Challenging China’s claims to Taiwan
Foreign Minister Lin flatly rejected China’s claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. He made two key arguments:
1. He claimed that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has “never ruled Taiwan for a single day.”
2. He also pointed out that UN Resolution 2758, which recognized the PRC as the representative of China, does not explicitly mention Taiwan.
Lin compared China’s claims to the story of the ’emperor’s new clothes,’ saying that “repeating a lie a hundred times does not make it true.” He said Taiwan has been countering Chinese pressure through intensive international cooperation, practical contributions, and continuous diplomatic efforts and working together with other countries in the world to reduce China’s influence.