Taiwan turns back Chinese fighter jets on same day Putin invades Ukraine

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Taiwan has been warily watching the Ukraine crisis, nervous that China may try to similarly move on the island

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Feb 24, 2022  •  1 hour ago  •  2 minute read  •  25 Comments

TAIPEI — Taiwan’s air force scrambled again on Thursday to warn away nine Chinese aircraft that entered its air defense zone, Taiwan’s defense ministry said, on the same day that Russia invaded Ukraine, a crisis being watched closely in Taipei.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained of regular such missions by the Chinese air force over the last two years, though the aircraft do not get close to Taiwan itself.

The number of aircraft involved was well off the last large-scale incursion, 39 Chinese aircraft on Jan. 23, and since then, such fly-bys have been sporadic with far fewer aircraft.

The ministry said the latest mission involved eight Chinese J-16 fighters and one Y-8 reconnaissance aircraft, which flew over an area to the northeast of the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands at the top end of the South China Sea.

Taiwanese fighters were sent up to warn the Chinese aircraft and air defense missiles were deployed to “monitor the activities,” the ministry said, using standard wording for how Taiwan describes its response.

Taiwan has been warily watching the Ukraine crisis, nervous that China may try to take advantage to move on the island.

While Taipei has not reported any unusual movements by Chinese forces, the government has increased its alert level.

China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, and routinely condemns U.S. arms sales or other shows of support from Washington.

Taiwan is nervous that Beijing may take advantage of a distracted West to ramp up pressure on the island amid the crisis in Ukraine, officials in Taipei say.

The government, always on alert to what they view as Chinese provocations, last month set up a Ukraine working group under the National Security Council.President Tsai Ing-wen told a meeting of the working group last Wednesday that Taiwan must increase its surveillance and alertness on military activities in the region and tackle foreign misinformation, though she did not directly mention China.

Although Taiwan’s government says the island’s situation and that of Ukraine’s are “fundamentally different,” Tsai has expressed “empathy” for Ukraine’s situation because of the military threat the island faces from China.

Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu warned in two foreign media interviews this month that they were watching very closely to see whether China would take advantage of the Ukraine crisis to attack.

“China may think about using military action against Taiwan at any moment, and we need to be prepared for that,” he told Britain’s ITV News.

A senior Taiwan official familiar with the government’s security planning told Reuters that the chances of a sudden uptick of military tension are “not high,” but that Taipei has been watching closely for any unusual Chinese activities.

The person pointed to the People’s Liberation Army’s joint military drills in areas between Taiwan’s northeast and near the Miyako Strait close to Japan’s southern islands, which have become more frequent in the past month or so.

The drills included fighter jets, bombers and warships and were meant to increase pressure on Japan, the official said, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Reporting by Ben Blanchard Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Bernadette Baum

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