Tension peaks as Chinese warplanes swarm Taiwan airspace ahead of key military drills

The Defense Ministry of Taiwan announced on Saturday that dozens of Chinese warplanes, inclusive of fighter jets and bombers, were observed flying towards the island. This significant military activity occurred days before Taiwan’s scheduled military exercises intended to bolster its defenses against possible invasions.

Next week, Taiwan is set to conduct its annual Han Kuang exercise. The drill involves combat readiness practice designed to deter invasion. Concurrently, the annual Wan’an exercises will also be conducted. These drills are focused on preparing civilians for natural disasters and practicing evacuation procedures during air raids.

The statement from Taiwan’s Defense Ministry indicated that from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army had deployed 37 aircraft and seven navy vessels in the vicinity of Taiwan. The aircraft included J-10 and J-16 fighters and H-6 bombers. It was noted that 22 of the detected warplanes crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait, an informal boundary traditionally seen as a buffer between Taiwan and the mainland, or entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone near its southern part.

Dozens of Chinese warplanes fly towards Taiwan ahead of defense exercises. Photo courtesy of Peter from Pixabay.

Historically, Taiwan and China have been separate since their split in 1949 after a civil war. The Communist Party, in control of the mainland, has never governed Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China. However, Beijing has been vocal about its desire for unification with the mainland.

There has been an uptick in Chinese military activity around Taiwan in recent years, often in response to political happenings on the island. Following the visit of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in August, China conducted large-scale military drills. These included firing missiles over the island, significantly escalating tensions, disrupting trade routes in the Taiwan Strait, and forcing airplanes to reroute flights.

Similar large-scale combat readiness drills were held by the PLA in April, following a meeting between Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and current U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.