Foreign Affairs

‘Deliberate Provocation’: China Sends Military Planes Into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone

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China sent two military surveillance planes towards Taiwan for three days in a row, which Taiwan called “deliberate provocation,” according to The Associated Press.

Two planes were sent to Taiwan’s air defense identification zone and the country’s air patrols were sent as a response, Taiwan’s National Defense Ministry said, according to the AP.

“We oppose China using military force against Taiwan, deliberately violating Taiwan’s naval and airspace safety and damaging the status quo,” Chiu Chui-Cheng, deputy minister at Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, added, according to the AP.

“Our government will continue to cooperate with countries with similar values,” Chiu continued.

China recently sent dozens of warplanes across the Taiwan Strait during a U.S. State Department official’s visit to the small country, according to the AP. Taiwan’s defense ministry said the planes went beyond the strait’s midline, the AP reported.

Taiwan’s Air Force does not give in to threats or military provocation. Our men and women in uniform have the will & ability to defend #Taiwan & are not intimidated by #PRC intrusions in our airspace. We are dedicated to maintaining peace & stability in the region. pic.twitter.com/71JsvhR6YE

— 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) September 22, 2020

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Monday that Taiwan is a part of China and that the midline does not exist, according to the AP. Wang criticized the U.S. official’s visit saying, “We will take countermeasures, including against relevant individuals.”

The State Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.