The Federalist Papers By Steve Straub
For the second time in as many days the Chinese communist government, headed by Chairman Xi, is testing Joe Biden to see how he will react to another flagrant violation of Taiwanese sovereignty by the Chinese Air Force.
This time China sent a batch of planes, including 12 fighter jets, into Taiwan’s air space.
Reuters has the story:
Chinese air force planes including 12 fighter jets entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone for a second day on Sunday, Taiwan said, as tensions rise near the island just days into U.S. President Joe Biden’s new administration.
China views democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, and has in the past few months increased military activity near the island.
But China’s activities over the weekend mark a ratcheting up with fighters and bombers being dispatched rather than reconnaissance aircraft as had generally been the case in recent weeks.
After eight Chinese bomber planes and four fighter jets flew into Taiwan’s defense zone on Saturday, between mainland Taiwan and the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea, a further 15 flew into the same air space on Sunday, Taiwan said.
Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said China sent six J-10 fighters, four J-16s, two SU-30s, a Y-8 reconnaissance aircraft and two Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft.
Taiwan’s air force was sent up to respond, it added.
“Airborne alert sorties had been tasked, radio warnings issued and air defense missile systems deployed to monitor the activity,” the ministry said.
China has yet to comment. It has previously said such actions are aimed at defending the country’s sovereignty and designed to act as a warning against “collusion” between the United States and Taiwan.
The move is likely to further concern Washington, which on Saturday urged China to stop pressuring Taiwan and reaffirmed its commitment to the island and desire to deepen ties.
Earlier on Sunday, the U.S. military said that a U.S. aircraft carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt had entered the disputed South China Sea to promote “freedom of the seas.”
Biden was sworn into office only on Wednesday. His administration says its commitment to Taiwan is “rock-solid.”
The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.
While we have low expectations that the Biden administration will react forcefully to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty, an aircraft carrier battle group just entered the South China Sea on a “routine” mission.
“A U.S. aircraft carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt has entered the South China Sea to promote “freedom of the seas,” the U.S. military said on Sunday, at a time when tensions between China and Taiwan have raised concern in Washington.
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement the strike group entered the South China Sea on Saturday, the same day Taiwan reported a large incursion of Chinese bombers and fighter jets into its air defense identification zone in the vicinity of the Pratas Islands.
The U.S. military said the carrier strike group was in the South China Sea, a large part of which is claimed by China, to conduct routine operations “to ensure freedom of the seas, build partnerships that foster maritime security.”
Buckle up your seatbelts, the road ahead is going to get bumpy as the Chinese and other enemies and competitors test the newly installed and very weak Biden administration.
Hope for the best, but prepare yourself for the worst outcome as America First is no more. The globalists are now firmly in charge.
