Taiwan announced the incursion of more than 20 Chinese military aircraft into its air defense zone on Tuesday, as Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi began a controversial visit to the island over which Beijing claims sovereignty.
“21 Chinese army aircraft […] entered the ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone, wider than airspace) of southwestern Taiwan on August 2, 2022,” the Taiwan Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Twitter.
Before Ms. Pelosi’s arrival in Taiwan, China warned on Tuesday that the United States will bear the “responsibility” for this visit and that it will have to “pay the price”.
“The United States will certainly have the responsibility [des conséquences] and will have to pay the price for their attack on China’s sovereignty and security,” spokesperson for Chinese diplomacy Hua Chunying told reporters.
Several American ships were also cruising in the region on Tuesday, including the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, according to American military sources.
Beijing considers the island as part of its territory to be reunified, by force if necessary, and has repeatedly warned Washington against a visit by the senior official which would be seen as a major provocation.
In the wake of Chinese threats, Russia, a major ally of China, has accused the United States of “destabilizing the world”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the visit was causing “increased tension” in the region and accused Washington of choosing “the path of confrontation”.
After Nancy Pelosi’s visit materialized, Moscow felt that China had the right to take “necessary measures to protect its sovereignty”.
Although most observers believe the likelihood of an armed conflict is low, US officials have said they are preparing for possible shows of force from the Chinese military.
Strategic ambiguity
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement early Tuesday it was “determined” to protect the island from threats from China.
The United States practices with regard to Taiwan a so-called “strategic ambiguity” diplomacy, consisting in recognizing only one Chinese government, that of Beijing, while continuing to provide decisive support to Taipei. Washington, however, refrains from saying whether or not the United States would militarily defend the island in the event of an invasion. US Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby reiterated that this policy remains unchanged.
The 23 million Taiwanese live under the constant threat of an invasion from China, this fear having increased since the coming to power of President Xi Jinping, who has made reunification a priority.
Last week, during a telephone interview with the American president, Mr. Xi called on the United States not to “play with fire”.
“As we see it, such a visit seems very dangerous and very provocative,” Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun said at a press conference.
Last week, the Taiwanese army carried out its most important annual military maneuvers.
For its part, China has been organizing multiple “live ammunition” military exercises at sea in recent days, generally very close to the coast.