Taiwan on Alert: Largest Chinese Air Incursion of 2024

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) has reported a significant incursion by Chinese military aircraft, with a total of 56 Chinese warplanes crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait or its extension between 6 a.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday local time. These planes penetrated the northern, southeastern, and southwestern parts of Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ)..The MND stated that these 56 aircraft were part of a larger fleet of 66 aircraft detected around Taiwan. Some planes flew as close as 33 nautical miles (61 km) from Cape Eluanbi on Taiwan's southernmost tip, according to flight paths released by the MND..An ADIZ is an area where a country claims the right to identify, locate, and control approaching foreign aircraft but is not considered territorial airspace under international law..The MND noted that these Chinese planes were heading to join the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong for a drill in the Western Pacific. As of Wednesday morning, the Shandong had transited through the Balintang Channel north of the Philippines..Response to U.S. Diplomacy.Su Tzu-yun, a research fellow at the Institute of National Defense and Security Research, remarked on the unusual flight paths taken by some of the planes. Specifically, 26 aircraft, including unspecified types of fighter jets and drones, flew southwest-northeast through Taiwan's southeastern ADIZ before changing direction and leaving the area. Su suggested this unusual route might be a deliberate response to the recent inauguration of American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene and his scheduled meeting with President William Lai..Greene, who assumed his role on July 8, reiterated the U.S. commitment to supporting Taiwan's self-defense capabilities during his meeting with Lai. Su pointed out that sudden increases in Chinese military activity often signify Beijing's displeasure at international events. For instance, China previously dispatched 57 military aircraft over the South China Sea in response to the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group transiting the area shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden took office in January 2021..China's decision to stage military drills in the Western Pacific is also likely a reaction to the ongoing U.S.-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, involving 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, and more than 150 aircraft from 29 countries..Massive Air Incursion.This week's sortie of 66 Chinese military aircraft is the largest this year, according to the MND. Of these, 36 People's Liberation Army Navy planes drilled with the Shandong Carrier Strike Group. In response, the Republic of Taiwan Armed Forces deployed Combat Air Patrol aircraft, navy vessels, and coastal missile systems..The MND's press release included photographs of a Chinese H-6 bomber and a J-16 fighter, and detailed that 37 PLA aircraft, including J-16 fighters, H-6 bombers, KJ-500 Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, and UAVs, were detected from 5:20 a.m. Wednesday. These planes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's ADIZ to train with the Shandong and other Chinese warships..Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo clarified that the Shandong had not passed through the Bashi Channel but instead sailed through the Balintang Channel to the Philippine Sea. Koo's statement came during a press conference on Wednesday, addressing the unusual route taken by the Shandong..In a speech at Taiwan's National Defense University, President Lai Ching-te warned of China's escalating threat to regional stability. "Currently, the CCP's threat to regional stability continues to rise, and its intrusion into gray areas across the Taiwan Strait and surrounding areas is also increasing day by day. These are common challenges to global democracy," Lai said..Regional Reactions.Japan reported the presence of the Shandong Carrier Strike Group in the Philippine Sea, with Murasame-class destroyer JS Akebono shadowing the group, but has not issued further reports..The heightened military activity near Taiwan and the unusual flight paths of the Chinese aircraft underscore the increasing tensions in the region and the ongoing challenges to maintaining stability and peace.