China relies on attrition
Taiwan reports significantly more fighter jets off its coast
March 21, 2024, 8:00 a.m
Beijing sends its fighter jets into Taiwanese airspace almost every day. Recently, however, Chinese activities off Taiwan seemed to be decreasing – until now. Taipei observes 32 jets off its coast. The country responds with military operations in the air and at sea.
For the first time in a long time, China has sent a significantly increased number of combat aircraft into the airspace off Taiwan’s coast. In the past 24 hours, 32 planes and 5 ships from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army were spotted, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said. 20 jets flew over the unofficial center line of the strait between Taiwan and China, which is only around 130 kilometers wide at its narrowest point (Taiwan Strait), and entered the airspace surveillance zone of the island republic via the south and east. According to the ministry, the military responded to the Chinese activities with, among other things, the use of aircraft and ships.
China’s military sends its planes into the airspace off Taiwan’s coast almost every day. The ruling Communist Party views the island as a breakaway province, even though an independent and democratically elected government has been in power in Taipei for decades. Beijing wants to unify Taiwan with the mainland and would be prepared to use military means to achieve this if it does not work peacefully.
In the past few weeks, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense reported significantly fewer combat aircraft than at the beginning of the year. At 33 aircraft, a similar number was discovered at the end of January. No official reason was given for the increase. However, the People’s Liberation Army regularly exercises in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan’s armed forces are forced to constantly react to intrusions into the air surveillance zone. Experts also see this as a tactic of attrition by China.
Recently, the Chinese military appeared to have somewhat reduced its activities, which were perceived as threatening gestures. However, the People’s Republic Coast Guard increasingly deployed ships near the Taiwanese mini-island of Kinmen, which is only a few kilometers from the Chinese mainland. The reason for this was the death of several Chinese fishermen in the waters there, whose boat capsized when they tried to evade inspection, according to Taiwanese sources. The incident in mid-February increased tensions between Taiwan and China. The Chinese state newspaper “Global Times” recently suggested that Beijing would continue to increase patrols in the area to “protect the people.”