China's Military Show of Force Amid Tsai Ing-wen's US Visit: "18 Military Aircraft Detected"

Following Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's visit to the United States, China has continued its provocative military demonstrations.

On the 1st, Taiwan's Liberty Times and Taiwan News reported that from 6 a.m. the previous day to 6 a.m. on the same day, the Taiwanese military detected 18 military aircraft and 4 warships belonging to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the airspace and waters surrounding Taiwan. Of the 18 PLA aircraft detected near Taiwan, 10 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait before returning to the Chinese side.

The median line of the Taiwan Strait is an unofficial boundary declared in 1955 by U.S. Air Force General Benjamin Davis to prevent military clashes between China and Taiwan, following the mutual defense treaty between the United States and Taiwan signed in December 1954.

The Taiwanese military immediately scrambled fighter jets and issued warning broadcasts, while activating air defense missile systems to track the aircraft. Additionally, Taiwan dispatched its naval vessels to the area to monitor the movements of the PLA warships.

Military aircraft activity of the Chinese People's Liberation Army around Taiwan airspace [Photo by Yonhap News]

President Tsai arrived in New York, her first stopover, on the afternoon of the 29th of last month (U.S. local time) to begin a 9-night, 10-day trip visiting Central American diplomatic allies Guatemala and Belize. She visited Guatemala on the 1st and Belize on the 3rd, and on her return to Taiwan, she plans to stop over in Los Angeles, U.S., on the 5th.

There are media reports that President Tsai will meet with Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and the third-highest-ranking official in the U.S. government, during her stop in Los Angeles. Experts predict that if President Tsai meets with Speaker McCarthy, China is likely to respond with strong opposition.

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