“The consequences will be catastrophic for the region if Taiwan falls into the hands of China.”
Tsai Ing-Wen, president of Taiwan, pronounced these words on Tuesday because, from October 1, 145 Chinese combat aircraft have crossed the air defense area of the island.
Last year, 380 fighters and bombers of the People’s Liberation Army (EPL) performed incursions in the air space controlled by the island with a young democracy but Beijing considers one of its provinces.
In what we have been 2021, there are more than 600 aircraft that have detached from China Continental to make war simulations.
“Taiwan wishes peaceful coexistence with China, but our democracy and way of life are threatened, we will do everything possible to defend ourselves,” the president Tsai continued.
Beijing suspended official exchanges with Taipei since Tsai, from the Progressive Democratic Party, in favor of Independence, was chosen president in 2016 and refused to accept the principle of a single China.
Since then, although only 15 countries officially recognize their sovereignty, their government has been tracing alliances with powers such as the United States or Japan through unofficial economic and armament agreements.
“If these lines are broken by force, the consequences would interrupt international trade and destabilize the entire Western Pacific,” said Tsai.
It is not novelty that Beijing sends bombers southwest of Taiwan.
It usually does it quite often when Taipei and Washington sign some new agreement, or when American warships sail through the waters in South China Sea dispute.
But never before the EPL had proven his strength with simulacros as often as since last Friday.
The Taiwan Ministry of Defense said 52 aircraft took off on Monday from China continental and flew to the southwest of the autonomous island.
It has been the greatest incursion performed by Beijing to date.
The island activated its missile defenses to warn the 34 J-16 fighters, 12 Bomber H-6 and two Airplanes Su-30 who had sent Beijing.
On Friday and Saturday, new records of Chinese incursions were also broken with 38 and 39 combat aircraft respectively, while on Sunday they were 16 those who arrived at the so-called air defense identification area (DAIZ), which includes an area outside the territory
From the country and national airspace, but where foreign aircraft are still identified, monitor and control in the interest of national security.
“We are very concerned that China will launch a war against Taiwan at some point,” said Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.
Then, in an interview with the Australian Canal ABC, the head of Taiwanese diplomacy warned again about an “imminent war” with mainland China and said that, if the EPL launched an attack, the island would be ready to repel it.
“I am sure that, if China is going to launch an attack on Taiwan, I think they are also going to suffer tremendously,” Wu sentenced.
Washington, ally of the island and its main supplier of arms, issued a statement to defend Taiwan.
“We urge Beijing to cease their pressure and military, diplomatic and economic coercion against Taiwan,” he said the letter of the US Department of State.
The next one in catching the Word Witness was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, which returned the ball by accusing “provocative actions” to the sale of arms by the United States to Taiwan, as well as that the US boats navigate for some
Waters that Beijing demands his sovereignty.
“China will take all the necessary countermeasures and resolutely crush any Taiwan Independence Complot,” the spokesman Hua Chunying warned.