Taiwan tensions are symbolic of China's growing assertiveness

• Published date: 06 October 2021
• Author: SETH J. FRANTZMAN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

What is important here is that the incursions are symbolic of the direction the world is heading: China will be more assertive and it will work more closely with other countries that are also being assertive, such as Russia, Iran, Turkey and other states that want to challenge the West.

The recent news related to 56 Chinese warplanes, including 38 J-16 fighters, 12 H-6 bombers and two Su-30 fighters, well as anti-submarine warfare planes and two large KJ-500 early warning planes. CNN says that the last major incident involved 39 Chinese planes on Saturday. According to FoxNews, the overall number over four days was 149 aircraft. These included planes that flew on Friday including 18 J-16s and four SU-30s as well as H-6 bombers.

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The pattern of "largest incursion" is now becoming clear. Back in March, Taiwan also reported the "largest ever incursion by the Chinese air force." That included twenty aircraft.

Reuters reported that "some of the Chinese aircraft flew in the airspace to the south of Taiwan and passed through the Bashi Channel, which separates the island from the Philippines, Taiwan's defense ministry said in a statement. The presence of so many Chinese combat aircraft on Friday's mission - Taiwan said it was made up of four nuclear-capable H-6K bombers and 10 J-16 fighter jets, among others - was unusual and came as the island's air force suspended all training missions after two fighter jet crashes this week."

Last September, Taiwan also said that Beijing sent 18 planes, most of the fighter jets, into its air defense zone. "China's military sent 18 planes including fighter jets over the Taiwan Strait in an unusually large show of force Friday as a US envoy held a day of closed-door meetings on the self-governing island claimed by China," said Politico.

LAST MONTH, China also flew 24 jets near Taiwan. The report at the time said that "China's People's Liberation Army flew fighter jets toward Taiwan twice on Thursday: once in the morning with 19 planes, and once in the afternoon with five more. Taiwan deployed air patrol forces in response to the Chinese jets and tracked them on its air defense systems, the island's Defense Ministry said in a statement. The jets in the morning flight, some of which flew in a long L-shaped path, were 12 J-16 and two J-11s, as well as bombers and an anti-submarine aircraft. Later...