In a significant display of military might, China deployed a considerable number of warplanes and naval ships around Taiwan this week. The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported that at least 30 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and nine People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were detected in the island’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
“Up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today, 30 PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were identified. 20 of the aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, middle line, and southwest ADIZ,” the Taiwanese MND announced on social media. The Republic of China Armed Forces (ROCAF) have been monitoring the situation and responding appropriately.
It’s worth noting that the official name of Taiwan is the Republic of China, in contrast to its mainland counterpart, the People’s Republic of China.
This show of force by the Chinese military comes after a phone conversation between the leaders of the People’s Republic of China and the United States. President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping had their first phone call since July 2022 on Tuesday, with the two leaders expected to discuss topics such as Taiwan, narcotics, artificial intelligence, and China’s support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict.
While the White House has yet to provide specific details about the call, it described the conversation as a “check-in” between the two leaders. The last time Biden and Xi spoke publicly was in November, following Biden’s use of the term “dictator” to describe Xi in June last year, after the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy craft on the East Coast. Biden reiterated this description of Xi in November last year as tensions over Taiwan escalated.
President Biden has previously stated that the U.S. would intervene if China were to invade Taiwan, but the White House has subsequently walked back these statements.
Article generated from corporate media reports.
