Taiwan invasion alert: Taipei activates defences as China crosses line

Taiwan has scrambled fighter jets, put its navy on alert and activated missile systems in response to nearby operations by 34 Chinese military aircraft and nine warships.

The AI Arleigh-burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100) during a routine transit in the Taiwan Strait in 2021t. Picture: US NAVY / AFP

Taiwan has scrambled fighter jets, put its navy on alert and activated missile systems in response to nearby operations by Chinese military aircraft and warships.

The Ministry of National Defense in Taiwan said on Wednesday that 34 Chinese military aircraft and nine naval vessels were detected near the island nation.

On Tuesday, Beijing instructed its air force and navy to perform a major operation which saw 20 Chinese aircraft cross the central line of the Strait, long seen as a buffer zone between the island nation and mainland China, according to Taiwanese defence officials.

Taiwan’s armed forces “monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities,” its defence ministry said on Wednesday.

The large-scale Chinese deployment comes as Beijing increases preparations for a potential blockade or outright attack on Taiwan, stirring major concerns among military leaders in the US, Taiwan’s key ally. It also follows weeks of Chinese military drills close to Taiwanese air space

In a memo last month, US Air Force General Mike Minihan instructed officers to be prepared for a US-China conflict over Taiwan in 2025.

34 PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities. pic.twitter.com/ToxO0zil7X

— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) February 1, 2023

China’s latest military manoeuvres came just hours after foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning declared Beijing “does not promise to renounce the use of force” in its alleged efforts to reunify. Beijing claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, as part of its territory to be seized one day.

Senior US officials have said in recent months that China appears to be speeding up its time frame to seize control of Taiwan.

China staged major military exercises in August last year, seen as a trial run for an invasion after a defiant visit of solidarity to Taipei by then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who at the time was second in line to the White House.

The US switched recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 but sells weapons to Taiwan for its self-defence.

Taipei’s skyline at night.

Taiwan has responded to China’s threats by ordering more defensive weaponry from the US, leveraging its democracy and high tech economy to strengthen foreign relations and revitalising its domestic arms industry.

A growing number of US politicians have called for ramping up assistance, including sending direct military aid to Taiwan, saying that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underscores the need for early preparation.

In an internal memorandum that first emerged on social media on Friday, and was later confirmed as genuine by the Pentagon, the head of the Air Mobility Command, General Mike Minihan, said the main goal should be to deter “and, if required, defeat” China.

“I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me we will fight in 2025,” Mr Minihan said.

Laying out his reasoning, Mr Minihan said Taiwan’s presidential elections next year would offer Chinese President Xi Jinping an excuse for military aggression, while the US would be distracted by its own contest for the White House.

“Xi’s team, reason, and opportunity are all aligned for 2025,” he added.

The memorandum also calls on all Mobile Command personnel to go to the firing range, “fire a clip” into a target and “aim for the head.”

A Pentagon spokesperson responded to an AFP email query about the memo saying, “Yes, it’s factual that he sent that out.”

Beijing has accused Taiwan of using the US and other Western allies to bolster its efforts to maintain independence, and insists the US is manipulating Taiwan to “contain” Chinese influence.

Originally published as Taiwan invasion alert: Taipei activates defences as China crosses line