TAIPEI CITY: In a show of force, China flew 38 warplanes, including a long-range combat drone, near Taiwan on Thursday and Friday.
The drone, known as the TB-001 or the “twin-tailed scorpion,” crossed the median line that separates the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and circled the island, according to Taiwan’s defence ministry. This marks the first time that a Chinese military aircraft has flown around Taiwan in this manner, covering the entire length of the median line.
Taiwan lives under the constant threat of an attack by Beijing, which considers the island as part of its territory. The Chinese aircraft incursion, which included 19 planes crossing the median line or entering Taiwan’s air defence identification zone, has raised tensions in the region.
The incursion was the highest number of Chinese aircraft to approach Taiwan since China ended its three-day military drills earlier this month.
The TB-001 drone, one of the largest drones in China’s arsenal, has a range of 6,000 kilometres and can carry a large weapons payload. China previously deployed the drone during military drills that simulated targeted strikes and a blockade of Taiwan.
US conducts reconnaissance flight through Taiwan Strait
In response to the Chinese incursion, the US conducted a reconnaissance flight through the Taiwan Strait, which China also tracked with fighter jets. Western militaries, led by the US, regularly conduct “freedom of navigation operations” in the region to assert the international status of regional waterways, including the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
China’s military posturing comes in response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to the United States, where she met with Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. China calls Taiwan a renegade province and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under its control.
The situation remains tense in the region, with China increasing its military presence around Taiwan, and the US and its allies conducting regular operations in the area to maintain stability and freedom of navigation.
