Taiwan claims 21 Chinese fighter jets entered its air defense zone in the space of 24 hours. According to the Ministry of National Defense, 17 Chengdu J-10s and four Shenyang J-16s entered Taiwan’s south-west air defense identification zone (ADIZ). In total between 6am on March 1, 2023 and 6am on March 2, 2023, 29 People’s Liberation Army fighters and four navy vessels were detected in waters and airspace around Taiwan. In response, armed forces monitored the situation and combat air patrol aircraft and land-based missile systems were alerted.
Although the Taiwanese government is democratically elected China justifies such operations as exercising its ownership of the island. According to CNBC the Chinese jets did not enter Taiwan’s territorial airspace and the breached ADIZ is a larger area the National Defense monitors, so it has time to respond to threats.
The tense standoff in Asia comes just a day after the US President, Joe Biden, approved an estimated $619 million potential arms sale to Taiwan, including hundreds of missiles for F-16 fighter jets. The case will go through the process of “notifying Congress” and is expected to come into force in one month. “The United States’ support to Taiwan and steps Taiwan takes to enhance its self-defense capabilities contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region,” the US State Department said.