US reaffirms support for Taiwan after China sends war planes

The Taiwan Ministry of Defense said on Saturday that China had sent eight bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons and four fighter planes to its air defense identification zone, southwest of the island. The ministry said China on Sunday sent 16 more military aircraft of various types to the same area.

The ministry said Taiwan responded by shuffling fighters, broadcasting radio notices and “deploying air defense missile systems to monitor activity”.

There was no immediate Chinese commentary on Sunday.

The flyovers are part of an old pattern of incursions aimed at putting pressure on President Tsai Ing-wen’s government to yield to Beijing’s demand that it recognize Taiwan as part of Chinese territory.

They come shortly after President Joe Biden’s inauguration, emphasizing the island’s enduring position in the array of divisive issues between sides that also include human rights, trade disputes and, more recently, questions about China’s initial response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Biden government has shown little sign of easing pressure on China on these issues, although it appears to favor a return to more civil dialogue.

The State Department statement on Saturday said Washington will continue to deepen ties with Taiwan and ensure its defense of Chinese threats, while supporting a peaceful resolution of issues between the sides.

In another sign of support for Taiwan, the island’s de facto ambassador to Washington, Hsiao Bi-khim, was a guest in Biden’s possession.

And in a final blow to China, the Trump administration’s ambassador to the UN tweeted that it is time for the world to oppose China’s efforts to exclude and isolate Taiwan, drawing strong criticism from Beijing.

Ambassador Kelly Craft followed the tweet with a photo of herself in the UN General Assembly Hall, where the island is banned. She carried a bag with a Taiwanese teddy bear sticking out of the top, a gift from Taiwan’s representative in New York, Ambassador James Lee.

Taiwan and China split in the midst of a civil war in 1949 and China says it is determined to force the island under its control, if necessary. The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, but is legally obliged to ensure that Taiwan can defend itself and that the autonomous democratic island enjoys strong bipartisan support in Washington.

Tsai sought to bolster the island’s defenses by purchasing billions of dollars in American weapons, including F-16 fighters, armed drones, rocket systems and Harpoon missiles capable of hitting both ships and ground targets. It also increased support for Taiwan’s native weapons industry, including launching a program to build new submarines to contain China’s growing naval capabilities.

China’s growing threats come as economic and political attractions bear little fruit, prompting it to stage war games and dispatch fighter jets and reconnaissance planes almost daily towards the island of 24 million people.