China Scrambles Fighter Jets as US Congressional Delegation Visits Taiwan

Among the aircraft participating in the joint patrol near Taiwan were four PLA J-16 fighter jets. (Photo by SCMP)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] China strongly reacted by deploying fighter jets to conduct joint combat readiness patrols after a U.S. congressional delegation made a surprise visit to Taiwan aboard a U.S. military transport plane.

According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 9th (local time), Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense announced that six Chinese military aircraft, including four J-16 fighter jets and two reconnaissance planes, entered Taiwan's southwestern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) that day.

This was a joint combat readiness patrol organized by the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army toward the Taiwan Strait.

A spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command said, "This military operation is a necessary measure to safeguard national sovereignty," and warned, "The Eastern Theater Command will resolutely confront any provocative acts that threaten China's core interests and undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

This is the first time Chinese authorities have officially announced a joint combat readiness patrol against Taiwan. SCMP reported that, as usual, military aircraft belonging to various units were likely deployed within the ADIZ.

This show of force was a retaliatory response to the surprise visit of U.S. senators and representatives who arrived in Taiwan aboard a U.S. transport plane. Six members of the U.S. Congress visited Taiwan on the afternoon of the same day, temporarily landing at Taiwan aboard a U.S. military C-40 'Clipper' transport plane. They boarded a U.S. Navy aircraft in Manila, Philippines, and landed at Taipei Songshan Airport in Taiwan.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the visit by the U.S. lawmakers was organized by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which acts as the U.S. representative office in Taiwan, under discussions between both sides, and that the Ministry provided essential administrative and quarantine support.

Local Taiwanese media reported that the U.S. lawmakers would stay in Taiwan for an unspecified period, but did not provide specific details about the duration of their stay or visitor information.

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China, strongly opposed the visit by the U.S. lawmakers, stating, "We firmly oppose any form of official exchanges and military contacts between the United States and the Taiwan region."

Spokesperson Zhu urged, "We call on some U.S. lawmakers to abide by the 'One China' principle and the three joint communiqu?s (the three important documents governing China-U.S. relations, including the establishment of diplomatic relations) and not to send wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces," emphasizing, "Otherwise, it will only bring additional harm to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.