China Flexing Its Military?
The Taiwanese Defence Military has revealed that there were 18 PLA had crossed the Midline of Taiwan Strait and entered its Air Defence Identification Zone. These 18 PLAs were classified as follows
- H-6 Bombers x2
- J-16 fighters x8
- J-10 fighter x4
- J-11 fighters x4
The Ministry also revealed that Taiwan had scrambled fighters in response to the intrusion.
What Did The Defence Have To Say?
The former Vice Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army, Lt. Gen. Vijay Oberoi (retd) spoke up about this attack. He said, “If India is dealing with a two-front situation, China is now dealing with four or five fronts” he also added to this statement by saying “From Ladakh to the South China Sea issue, the East China Sea with Japan, and Taiwan. There is also another western front if you look at their internal problems in Xinjiang.”
While the former Indian Vice Chief Of Army Staff was talking about this attack, the Defence Ministry spokesperson and PLA Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang was bust blaming the United States for creating tensions between the two countries. He went ahead to accuse the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ‘of stepping up collusion with the U.S.‘ reported Reuters. “Trying to use Taiwan to control China or rely on foreigners to build oneself up was wishful thinking and futile,” he said. “Those who play with fire will get burnt,” he added to his previous statement.
Preparing For The Attack
One of the news agency quoted Hu Xijin. He is one of the editors of the hawkish Communist Party-run Global Times newspaper. He wor that “the drills were for preparation for an attack on Taiwan should the need arise. And that they enabled intelligence-gathering about Taiwan’s defence systems.” He also added to this statement by writing “If the U.S. Secretary of State or Defence Secretary visits Taiwan, People’s Liberation Army fighters should fly over Taiwan island, and directly exercise in the skies above it.”
Some of the Chinese analysts have also situated the LAC tensions with India within the broader framework of China’s worsening relations with America. On Friday, Yan Xuetong, a leading strategic expert at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said at a webinar organised by the Institute of Chinese Studies in Delhi that. In the webinar, he spoke, “in China, most people believe [India’s] current government did a major adjustment of traditional Indian foreign policy. And the non-alignment principle has already been given up and abandoned.” “India has a strong motivation to become an ally of the U.S.,” he added to his previous statement. “From the eyes of a Chinese, we think currently non-alignment principle is just a cover or policy to making alliances for India.”
