Countering China’s Intimidation of Taiwan
BY ROBERT S. WANG
On the first weekend following President Joe Biden’s inauguration, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported back-to-back incursions by two large fleets of Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan’s self-declared southwestern air defense identification zone. On Jan. 23, the fleet comprised eight nuclear weapon–capable Chinese H-6K bomber planes, four J-16 fighter jets and one anti-submarine aircraft. This was followed the next day by another fleet of 12 fighters, two anti-submarine aircraft and a reconnaissance plane. Beijing repeated these exercises several times in the subsequent months.
Since the election of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016, Beijing has markedly stepped up military pressure on Taipei. According to Taiwan, Beijing sent warplanes into the same area on at least 100 days in 2020. In January 2021, Chinese military planes flew into that zone 26 out of the first 30 days. Previously, such flights were usu
As China offered to provide Taiwan with Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines, the majority of Taiwanese are skeptical of Beijing motives and of the vaccines which h
Taipei [Taiwan], May 29 (ANI): As China offered to provide Taiwan with Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines, the majority of Taiwanese are skeptical of Beijing's motives and of the vaccines which have lower levels of efficacy than many competitors.