WW3 WATCH: China Sends 30 Planes and 9 Vessels Over and Around Earthquake-Stricken Taiwan, in a Major Show of Force – Escalation Came Right After Biden and XI-Jinping Call
Now that the United States is overextended militarily with simultaneous proxy engagements in the Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Gaza wars, many fear that China will take advantage of this situation and make a decisive move towards the island of Taiwan, potentially taking the American military capabilities to the brink.
So, yesterday (2), on an eventful day that saw the strongest Taiwan earthquake in 25 years, as well as a telephone conversation between US President Joe Biden and Chairman Xi Jinping, the Chinese PLA (People’s Liberation Army) decided to make yet another show of force over and around the contested island.
Dozens of Chinese warplanes and multiple naval ships were reported around Taiwan in the largest coordinated display this year.
At least 30 planes and nine ships were detected in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) by the country’s Ministry of National Defense.
Fox News reported:
“’30 PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN [Chinese navy] vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. [local time] today. 20 of the aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, middle line, and Southwest [air defense identification zones]’, the Taiwanese [Ministry] announced via social media. ‘[Republic of China Armed Forces] have monitored the situation and employed appropriate force to respond’.”
The ‘Republic of China’, official name of Taiwan, is trying to remain independent from the mainland, communist People’s Republic of China.
“The coordinated display of military force by the People’s Liberation Army around Taiwan followed a phone call between leaders of the People’s Republic of China and the United States.
President Biden held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday.”
No details about the call have been divulged, but Taiwan was widely expected to be a major topic, along with fentanyl, artificial intelligence and China’s support for Russia.
“Biden last spoke with Xi in person in November, their first public interaction since Biden took to referring to Xi as a ‘dictator’. […] Biden used the term after the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy craft on the East Coast after allowing it to traverse the continental U.S.
Biden has stated repeatedly in the past that the U.S. would intervene if China were to invade Taiwan, but the White House has walked back the statement each time.”