On Saturday the China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) jets flew another huge jet formation in breach of Taiwan's air defense zone for a second consecutive day, despite leaders in Taipei still bristling and issuing condemnations over the initial major Friday incursions.
Following Friday's record-setting total of 38 jets on two separate occasions, the next day the PLA flew 39 jets, breaching the defense zone. The latter too involved a pair of incursions, with one wave coming during the day and the next in the evening.
Taiwan's Prime Minister Su Tseng-chang in weekend statements blasted the flights as "brutal and barbarian actions" which are damaging to regional peace.
Previously the record number of aircraft to breach the Taiwan ADIZ stood at 25, which had happened on a couple of occasions, with the first last April. The initial Friday incident occurred on China's National Day, a national holiday marking the establishment of the communist People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949.
On the initial Friday breach, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu described that "Oct. 1 wasn't a good day. The PLAAF flew 38 warplanes into Taiwan's ADIZ, making it the largest number of daily sorties on record. Threatening? Of course. It's strange the PRC doesn't bother faking excuses anymore."
Thus it appears the follow-up Saturday flyover was a glaring 'message' from Beijing signaling that it doesn't plan to heed any words of condemnation or warnings from Taiwan.
All of this also comes on the heels of Taipei moving forward with ramping up military spending with a recently approved $9 billion boost, citing the "severe threat" from China.
US 'very concerned' about China's 'provocative military activity near Taiwan'
JOSEPH CHOI
The State Department said on Sunday that the U.S. is "very concerned" about China's "provocative military activity near Taiwan" following Beijing's most recent show of air power near the self-governing island.
"The United States is very concerned by the People’s Republic of China’s provocative military activity near Taiwan, which is destabilizing, risks miscalculations, and undermines regional peace and stability. We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.
On Friday, China flew 38 military aircraft into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone, believed to be Beijing's largest military provocation seen yet.
Since the beginning of the year, China has continuously flown military aircrafts into Taiwanese airspace as part of its ramped-up efforts to strengthen its territorial claim over the island.
"China has been wantonly engaged in military aggression, damaging regional peace,” said Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang on Saturday.
"We have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability, and we will maintain our commitments as outlined in the Three Communiqués, the Taiwan Relations Act, and the Six Assurances," Price said in the latest statement.
"The U.S. commitment to Taiwan is rock solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region," he added. "We will continue to stand with friends and allies to advance our shared prosperity, security, and values and deepen our ties with democratic Taiwan."
In the summer, the Group of Seven (G-7) countries called for the "status quo" in the region to be preserved.
"We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo and increase tensions," the G-7 said in a joint statement.
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