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China sends 19 fighter jets towards Taiwan in show of force

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An independent island.

The people of Taiwan clearly do not want mainland China over the sea coming across and trying to interfere in their internal affairs.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

China. . . We will never bully or invade our neighbors!

Lie, lie, lie.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

With many foreign companies now pulling out of China and going to countries like Vietnam, India and Bangladesh, and the collapse of the biggest building company, China's agressive moves in asia may soon see it becoming isolated from the entire world.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

100% agreed with Mr. Smith above.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

"Individual powers... have repeatedly dispatched military aircraft and warships to the South China Sea for some time in the name of exercising freedom of navigation to flex muscle, stir up trouble and deliberately provoke conflicts on maritime issues," spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

was that muppet Zhao speaking about his own country?

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Time for Joe to get macho?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

It isn't a good look for the CCP-Chinese.

Beijing having a tantrum over the status quo and interfering with a different country, Taiwan.

Target, rich, environment, if they passed the 12nm mark. There are rules about FIR areas and approvals by Taipei controllers are required by international law. The altitude of the plane determines which level of control is required.

Other countries fly up to, but never over the boundaries as part of their military harassment campaigns. The Russians/USSR and NATO have been doing this for 50 yrs. It isn't really publicized, but happens all, the, time.

When met, the aggressor should turn and leave, though they shouldn't have entered the Taipei controlled airspace at all, not without approval. Taiwan airforce can't just force those planes down like the CCP did in 2001 at Hainan Island.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Countries that play to be the lapdog of the US end badly..

No, China can’t think the world is just theirs and they can dictate and annex any country it sees fit because their climb to world status hinges on intellectual property theft, bribery of poor nations in order to plunder their national resources that treats their own people like crap implementing a castes system which devoid them of basic human rights. This is not about the US, this is all about China getting ready to get their feelings hurt if the allied forces get together and China’s military is only as good as the people with the skill set that use them. The US has been battling wars for the last 100 years and every decade and the Chinese nowhere near close, copying our hardware and the worlds technology doesn’t and won’t make China a skilled and formidable opponent.

See Afghanistan.. 

As long as we remained there, the Taliban didn’t dare try and challenge the US and allied forces, but knowing we were leaving gave them the incentive to group together to finally launch a coordinated and systematic assault, had we stayed and were allowed to fully engage the Taliban, a full scale attack would have never happened on that level.

I hope Japan does not fall anymore for the world famous tricks of the US using other countries for their only benefits..

So they should follow the Chinese instead? No, Japan like Taiwan and it’s surrounding neighbors throughout Asia do indeed love Freedom, if China thinks at this point it can invade a sovereign nation, it has the backing of a huge unified allied force that I doubt China really wants to tangle with and let’s not forget. If Japan one day decides to become a nuclear nation, that’s something even the Chinese deeply worries about and doesn’t want under any circumstances. China needs to have a chill pill on this one and think deeply about the repercussions and fallout for them that would arise if they decide to stupidly go that route. I hope China is not that naive.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

…the CPC equivalent of throwing their toys out of the pram.

Andthe response should be the same. Ignore them until they stop whining.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@The Fu

Taiwan is not a different country and the US recognizes this fact.

""the United States acknowledges that Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China."

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

This is good news for Taiwan!

In fact Taipei should thank Beijington for providing the democratic Island Republic free publicity that proves that Taiwan is indeed not a part of China!

Moreover the PLAF's action also will let the world focus on the real grave danger that the democratic country is facing .

This hopefully will let the USA, the EU and maybe the UK activate their armed forces to finally actively support a fellow democratic nation like what Japan is now doin.

Beijington's sending of 19 fighters near Taiwan will give President Joe Biden no choice but be more forceful and decisive in his action to support an 'ally', 'friend' and 'like-minded' democratic Taiwan.

If he fails to show real active and forceful support for Taipei then it'll sadly signal the end of the USA being a superpower and mark the start of Washingjing's Rommanic decline.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Taiwan and China split during a civil war in 1949, but China continues to claim Taiwan as part of its territory. Beijing opposes Taiwan’s involvement in international bodies.

We get this with every article on China. Nothing new here; they will use force.

The USA used forced against CSA, Spain Catalina, UK Northern Ireland, Greek Turkey Cyprus and so on. The Edo government used forced against Satsuma and Choshu. Force is used in successions. Governments use force.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

It’s just about time, I’d say. It’s inevitable

0 ( +1 / -1 )

China invading Taiwan will mark the end of Comrade Xi Jinping's new 'China Dream'.

Once Shanghai and Beijing will be devastated by missiles, HK, Tibet, Xinjiang and maybe even Fujian province will break away for good!

If the current Chinese leadership are wise and more da-kine culturally advanced people then they could peacefully settle this thorny problem by giving the ROC in Taiwan full diplomatic recognition!

No name change nor any need for any new independence declaration means a real status quo is smartly preserved peacefully .

Maybe it's time for the Chinese leadership to learn from the Koreans.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

There is international airspace! Freedom if navigation in the air!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

CCP warplanes over the independant country of Taiwan? Taiwan has every right, and should, just shoot them down. This is an act of war. Sooner or later, there's going to be a fullscale war between the CCP and Taiwan/ US (if joe can get out of bed), Australia, UK and who knows else. Let's get on with it, give the CCP a bloody nose and hasten their demise.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

China is itching for a fight with Taiwan. It's only a matter of time . . .

I've seen a map of China's claims to the South China Seas recently. They are outrageous. They stretch to as far as the beaches of Japan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. On what grounds do they have these claims? First, South East Asia then the world. They won't admit it but they are deadly serious.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

For domestic consumption, the CCP has created the image of a bunch of renegade pirates or ruffians who have taken charge on the island. Obviously some large percentage of the mainland population must believe this narrative.

In the same way they were led to believe that Tibet needed to be taken over, the hill tribes and Mongols had to be relocated into cities and reeducated, the Uighurs had to be taught new language and new love for the party, and Hong Kong needed thorough purging.

Taiwan will have learned from all of that. It must be scary when your enemy is moving to a single vision inside their heads.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Time to send a couple of carrier groups through the straights of Taiwan. Get the Brits and Japanese to join us as we meet Australia.

Been there done that. What would get China's full and complete attention, not to mention angry tirades in the state controlled press, would be frequent visits to Taiwanese ports by US, Australian, British and Canadian warships, joint exercises with the Taiwanese before these port visits, port visits by the US Coast Guard along with training exercises conducted in Taiwan by the same nation's air and ground forces and the Taiwanese Air Force being invited to some Red Flag exercises at Nellis AFB. The Marines at Okinawa should conduct frequent exercises in Taiwan to practice the island's reinforcement. Have a Reforger like exercise every year to practice a big US Army mobilization to defend Taiwan. Add a Canadian battalion to that exercise. Those two RN patrol ships could make Taiwan a regular port call. It's not like they will be welcome in Hong Kong any more! Maybe not station allied forces permanently in Taiwan but have enough allied forces rotating through at any given time to make a difference in Taiwan's defense, plus guaranteeing a Chinese attack on Taiwan would of necessity be an attack on the military forces of several allies.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

CCP warplanes over the independant country of Taiwan?

No, that is not what happened. The PLAAF entered what is called an ADIZ for Air Defense Identification Zone. An ADIZ is not sovereign airspace. What an ADIZ means is that aircraft entering are supposed to identify themselves and state where they are going. An ADIZ can extend 100 km or more from shore. Aircraft entering an ADIZ are supposed to identify themselves to the controlling agency. If it is a commercial or routine military flight there will be flight plan showing the departure and destination airports. If all is in order and the aircraft is on a designated air route following its flight plan then nothing else needs to be done. But suppose you have aircraft enter your ADIZ that are not expected, do not have a filed flight plan and are not talking to you? You assume they are hostile and launch some fighters to investigate. The depth of the ADIZ is designed to give a nation time to react to a threat before that threat can reach their territorial airspace, which begins 12 nm from shore. An ADIZ is not sovereign airspace but the nation controlling the ADIZ can certainly investigate contacts inside their ADIZ and if necessary challenge them using radio or other means. However you can't shoot at them unless they violate your airspace at the 12 nm limit. Most of the time foreign air forces enter a nation's ADIZ to see how quickly they respond, what they respond with and they are very interested in what radars turn on or what modes they use and any radio chatter when they enter the ADIZ. They will be collecting a lot of ELINT while they are in that ADIZ. The PLAAF were testing Taiwan's response.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The ADIZ was a self declared one, it has no legitimate status at all! Some ADIZ that Taiwan has declared was drawn into the mainland of China, is that ridiculous? Well perhaps it can be dated back to "Chiang Kai Shek" era's strategy! There is nothing Taiwan can do besides airing some noises to Chinese aircraft channel!

This is an effective measure to detect the weakness of the defensive side and attrition of their planes! The more sorties those Taiwan fighter scrambles the more damage and wasting of their spare parts!

China, Russia has been flying in co~ordination to detect Japan's weakness!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@elephant200, the Chinese and Russian built fighters have airframe lives under 2000 flight hours (MiG-29 airframes for example are only rated for 1100 flight hours max, that is a fatigue life limit) and their engines have a rated time between overhauls or TBO measured in the hundreds of operating hours. Example the engines in MiG-29s are rated at 400 hours "TBO" but fully 75% of them fail before reaching 400 hours of use. Remember, after the fall of the USSR the Luftwaffe and US Navy operated MiG-29s and struggled to improve their durability but to no avail.

Western combat jets are built with airframe lives of between 10,000 and 20,000 flight hours and western combat jet engines have a rated time between overhaul generally around 1500 operating hours with a few now reliable to 3000 hours TBO depending on the engine in question.

One might be tempted to say it is the PRC who is wearing their aircraft out prematurely. The Russians and Chinese both need a great many more aircraft in their inventory to match the sortie rates of the US and its allies simply because so many will be off the flight line and in maintenance due to their extremely short maintenance intervals.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The ADIZ was a self declared one, it has no legitimate status at all! 

Sure it does. Every coastal nation has an ADIZ. It is how nations determine if an aircraft approaching their coast is routine commercial traffic on a filed flight plan or a threat that needs to be investigated. No aircraft is compelled to check in upon entering a nation's ADIZ, and it is not territorial airspace so the defending nation cannot shoot at you for simply entering the ADIZ, but if you aren't on a filed flight plan, are maybe not on a designated Low Level Route or Jet Airway published on the appropriate aeronautical chart and you don't check in with the controlling agency, then expect the defending nation to sortie fighters to have a look and see what your intentions are. No nation wants to be surprised by a foreign attack but by the same token no nation can afford to have fighters on patrol all day every day to check out every single aircraft approaching their coast to ensure it is not an attacker, so ADIZ are established to allow coastal nations to sort out the expected routine traffic that isn't a threat from unknowns that you want to have a look at.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Desert Tortoise, re your clear explanation of ADIZ, elephant200 does not recognize Taiwan as a ‘nation’.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Mig29 was a very cheap one for those third world countries like : India,Iran,Mynamar..etc.

China and Russia flew Su27/30/35 Flankers which has a much longer life than the Migs! They were trying to out wear the Japanese F15s as well, most of their aircraft's were ageing! Taiwan's F16 & Mirage 2000 were single engine, thesevaircrafts will be severely wear out after using more than 25 years! China will wear out her own Flankers too but they were produced in large numbers! New Flankers will take over after the aging generation be gone!Taiwan can't produce her own fighters anymore,this is how the "War of Attritions" is playing! A daily struggle until victory!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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