China between Wednesday and yesterday sent more military aircraft into a sensitive area off Taiwan following a brief period that saw it mysteriously hold off on the flights.
Five Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft were detected in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) — a space closely monitored by the military — from 6am on Wednesday to 6am yesterday, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.
Three of the planes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.
Photo: Reuters
PLA flights around the ADIZ and the median line have fallen off lately for no clear reason.
Taiwan said the pause might be a tactic by Beijing to ease tensions before an expected meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing in a few weeks.
The Trump administration is delaying a multibillion US dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure the visit is successful, the New York Times reported.
The slowdown in flights coincided with China holding a major meeting of lawmakers.
Tristan Tang (湯廣正), a nonresident fellow at the Honolulu-based Pacific Forum, said that the absence of PLA aircraft aligned with a long-term shift toward more joint operations training that began last year.
For years, China has used military aircraft buzzing around Taiwan as a pressure tactic, forcing Taiwan to scramble jets in response.
The pause was interrupted by two planes flying in Taiwan’s ADIZ on Friday and Saturday last week, and Chinese naval activity around Taiwan has continued through the period.
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