China plays war games after US arms deal

China has intensified combat-ready patrols involving jets, drones and warships around ­Taiwan after the US approved arms sales to the island.

Lai Ching-te speaks to veterans at the weekend. Picture: AFP

China has intensified combat-ready patrols involving jets, drones and warships around ­Taiwan after the US approved $US2bn ($3.05bn) worth of arms sales to the self-governing island.

The patrols, on Sunday and Monday, were the third set of ­exercises near the island this month, the Taiwanese authorities said.

They involved 22 aircraft from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, 17 of which crossed the “median line” in the Taiwan Strait, and seven warships, ­according to the island’s defence ministry. “We have monitored the situation and responded ­accordingly,” it said.

The patrols followed an angry response from Beijing to news that the US had approved the sale to Taiwan of three units of the Raytheon-manufactured national advanced surface-to-air missile system, costing $US1.16bn and $US828m of radar systems.

Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan. Most Western powers, including Australia and the US, recognise Taiwan as being ­legally part of China but oppose any attempt by the Chinese authorities to “reunify it” by force.

The Chinese foreign ministry said it had lodged a formal protest with the US over the deal.

“The sales seriously undermine China’s sovereignty and security interests, harm China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and send a gravely wrong message to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces,” it said.

Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the latest arms package showed that Washington “time and again contradicts the promises of its leaders not to support ‘Taiwan independence’ … and damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait region”. “ ‘Taiwan independence’ is as incompatible with peace across the strait as fire is with water,” spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian said.

Taipei’s defence ministry expressed its “sincere gratitude” for the sale on Saturday, saying it would “help the military continue to improve its defence ­resilience and jointly maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.

The Raytheon system is among the missile defences the US has also provided to Ukraine, and is a significant upgrade on anything in Taiwan’s arsenal.

The Pentagon believes President Xi Jinping has set a date of 2027 by which it could feasibly mount the complex manoeuvres necessary to retake Taiwan by force, although the Communist Party denies it has any such plans. However, the party is concerned that President Lai Ching-te, who stands for preserving Taiwan’s autonomy, might formally declare independence, which Beijing has said would trigger war.

The Chinese drills two weeks ago were among the largest in recent years, encircling the island.

Beijing maintains a near-daily presence of fighter jets, drones and warships around the island, and held large-scale war games nearby this month.

On October 15, Taiwan said it had detected 153 Chinese military aircraft in the previous 25 hours – the most for a single day.

The Times