The Taiwanese military has reaffirmed that it will fire on Chinese warplanes and naval vessels if they come within 12 nautical miles of Taiwan’s coast, which marks the beginning of the island’s territorial waters and airspace.
The warning came after eight Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes approached Taiwan’s contiguous zone, which extends 24 nautical miles off the island’s coast.
“If the PLA side continues to ignore our warnings along the way and force their way into our territorial air space and seas, we will actively strike back to safeguard national security,” said Maj. Gen. Lin Wen-huang, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry’s combat planning director.
China has been flying military aircraft closer to Taiwan in response to the island’s growing ties with the US. For example, the PLA used to rarely cross the median line, an unofficial barrier that separates the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. But Since then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) visited Taiwan in August 2022, PLA warplanes have regularly crossed the line.
While China has been flying closer to Taiwan, the Taiwanese government has not reported PLA warplanes flying within the contiguous zone or coming close to its airspace. Taiwanese officials, including Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng, have previously warned that their military would fire on Chinese planes that come within 12 nautical miles of the island’s coast.
In March, Chiu acknowledged that China was flying closer to Taiwan in direct response to the island’s ties with the US. “Beijing has been looking for excuses, such as visits from high-ranking officials from abroad and frequent military exchanges between Taiwan and other countries, to intensify the military threat,” he said.
Source: AntiWar.
