A top Chinese diplomat to the United States shocked an audience of 200 in a speech last week with some very “undiplomatic” remarks.
Li Kexin, a minister of the Chinese Embassy, warned that the day a US warship visits Kaohsiung will be the day the People’s Liberation Army reclaims Taiwan, when asked to comment on a law passed by the US Congress that authorizes port calls by the US Navy to the island.
On Monday, PLA warplanes resumed patrols of the Taiwan Strait and western Pacific, as a group of H-6K strategic bombers and jet fighters including Su-30s and J-11s flew well beyond the First and Second Island Chains, taking shortcuts via Taiwan’s air defense zone.
Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province and insists its sovereignty over the territory, and thus its warplanes piercing the island’s airspace violates no international law, stressed PLA Air Force spokesman Shen Jinke.
Yet what has stirred some commotion in Taiwan was that these warplanes appeared to have been carrying missiles, judging from photos dispatched by the PLA.
That was later confirmed by Shen, who said PLA pilots needed to hone their skills in patrols and flyovers in a warlike setting.
Taipei-based Liberty Times, however, said that symbolic posturing aside, Chinese warplanes were unlikely to make further provocations, such as by flying far inland above major Taiwanese cities.
That assessment soon drew a backlash on the mainland, with Beijing’s mouthpiece Global Times prodding the PLA to conduct direct flyovers of towns and cities on the island, even above Taipei.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s defense minister said in a statement on Tuesday that PLA warplanes had “skimmed over” Taiwan’s air border – without crossing it – while under close radar and fighter monitoring by the Taiwan military.
How did you know?
An arogant statement. Man for man Filipinos will kick your behind.
Taiwan n d spratly island are since time immemorial a part of China..but d greedy colonial american pigs wouldnt accept it coz dey wnt to take control of everything n every part of d globe..byt not this tym..dis tym China will not allow those pigs to show off its might in dis part of asia..dis tym China will stand up n fight for wat has long been their territory..n dis scares d pigs..
It’s about time that China ???????? Korea and Russia ???????? teach the ORANGE MAN in the WH a lesson
CHINA EXIT ASEA NOW..
Besides that,e army needs practice evry now & then,warplanes flew up for routine patrols,practices,trining pilots on how to fly a warplane,its not they wlb practcing how to bomb,its e norm in evry army
hahaha trump you unilaterally recogonised
jerusalem, let me see you wag that famous finger of yours and send your ships to kaohsiung.
Parang dds lang magmene ng walang verification.
China is crazy
china is no longer exercising freedom of navi, instead china is expanding its territory by force even it is against international law. china should be vanished in the world map. china is starting a world war 3 same as norkor..
India claim Kashmir… should by Chinese logic it should deter Chinese in akchai chin.
If world started following Chinese logic then there would be nothing but chaos.
China should understand that world tolerate its behaviour bcz no one wants war.
Ifff…if China continued this trend, there is 3rd world war in-waiting. Better to mend its way.
Marc de Brabander learn your history dude. Taiwan is part of china. Your only saying that because its china. How bout israel and usa illegally claiming jerusalem as their capital. But anyway taiwan is part of china you can say what ever you want in the end its still part of china. They even speak chinese. If you say taiwan is not part of china its like saying hawaii its not part of usa.
That photo is already proven to be fake. At no time have Chinese aircraft flown close to Jade mountain.
Mao Rai Yalung May be, but for sure not part of the PRC
its not chinese airspace. you can claim whatever you want, just like your illegally claiming islands in the south china sea. youll have to answer to the international community
Mao Rai Yalung only in the eyes of the chinese, not the rest of the world. keep on dreaming mister.
Taiwan is a Part of China
President Trump should visit Taiwan, and give that country a seat at the table of any international body we are member of.
As far as China concerned its only crossing its own airspace.
Anyone have a different opinion and would like to understand have rebels propped up by a foreign power, economically, poltically, and militarily for 70 years would lead to – from Phillipines to Indonesia to Thailand to Malaysia – are free to state publicly their opinion and China will be happy to provide them the experience necessary to understand it in full.
Isn’t it about time Asia Times staff learns the difference between a country’s airspace and its air defense identification zone (ADIZ), and stop writing lurid and false headlines?