Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense announced that China had dispatched more than 30 fighter jets and a group of naval vessels towards Taiwan within 24 hours.
TAIPEI, Taiwan — China has dispatched more than 30 fighter jets and a group of naval vessels to Taiwan, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense announced Saturday.
The military push followed an announcement that senior representatives of the United States and China were scheduled to meet in the Thai capital as the two countries sought to de-escalate tensions.
The People’s Liberation Army dispatched 33 aircraft, including SU-30 fighter jets, and six naval ships to areas around Taiwan from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday. Of these, 13 fighter jets crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial demarcation line considered a buffer zone between the island and the mainland. Taiwan monitored the situation and committed its own military to respond to the activity.
China claims self-governing Taiwan as its own territory, and has shown displeasure with political activities there, including sending military aircraft and warships in recent years. Taiwan announced that six Chinese-made balloons flew over the island or in the airspace just north of it, days after the autonomous island elected Lai Ching-de as its new president. Mr. Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party campaigned primarily on the platform of national self-determination, social justice, and rejection of the Chinese threat.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi were in Bangkok for talks, but it was unclear when the talks would take place or if they had already taken place. Ta.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of a summit in November in an effort to mend their strained relationship due to squabbles over a range of economic and geopolitical issues. U.S. National Security Council spokesman Adrian Watson said the planned meeting in Bangkok continues Biden and Xi’s commitment to “maintain strategic communications and responsibly manage the relationship.” Ta.
Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Friday that during the meeting, Foreign Minister Wang will clarify China’s position on Taiwan and U.S.-China relations and discuss international and regional concerns.
A pressing international concern for both countries is tensions in the Red Sea, which has forced many shippers to bypass the Suez Canal and disrupted global trade. The Chinese government said it was making active efforts to defuse a situation in which Iranian-backed Houthi rebels fired missiles at international ships.