Taiwan is prepared to shoot down Chinese drones. Communist China maintains military pressure on the “rogue” island. Washington: Beijing’s maneuvers will not create a “new normal” in the Taiwan Strait. Biden prepares arms sale to Taipei for 1,100 million dollars.
Taipei () – The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense has declared that the Armed Forces will shoot down Chinese drones that violate the national airspace. In recent days, Beijing has intensified the overflight of unmanned aircraft over the Kinmen, islands located in front of the Chinese province of Fujian, but under the control of Taiwan.
The use of drones is part of the psychological “war” launched by communist China to keep the “rebellious” island under pressure: the goal is to prepare the ground for the eventual reconquest of the territory, even with the use of force.
On August 4, Beijing began four days of exercises in six pre-arranged areas around Taiwan, in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the Taiwanese capital. The Chinese maneuvers continued after the announced end date. Despite the fact that they have officially ended, the Taiwanese military authorities yesterday identified the presence around the island of 37 planes and eight Chinese warships and 12 planes crossed the line that informally divides the Taiwan Strait but that China is no longer willing to respect.
Also yesterday, the Biden administration made it clear that the United States will not accept the pretensions of a “new normal” in the Taiwan Strait established by the continuation of Chinese military activity. Washington fundamentally rejects Beijing’s claim that the Strait is within its sovereign space.
In response to Chinese operations in the area, two US missile cruisers crossed the Strait on August 28. The US authorities reiterated that the naval crossing was carried out in compliance with the rules of navigation in international waters.
Taiwan News reports, however, that the Taiwan Adiz Facebook page reportedly intercepted radio transmissions between the Chinese and US military in which the former accused Washington of having entered China’s airspace with two MH-60 Seahawk helicopters between the August 28 and 29. In all likelihood, the two air units belonged to the equipment of the two cruisers that transited the waters of the Strait.
Meanwhile, according to Politico, the US government is preparing to present a new arms sale to Taipei to Congress. It would be a $1.1 billion package that includes at least 160 anti-ship and air-to-air missiles. The Taiwan Relations Act commits the United States to maintaining the island’s military capability by supplying defensive weapons.
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