Taiwan fires at drones flying near China: The military of the self-ruled island fired warning shots at Chinese drones flying over its outposts close off the Chinese coast, emphasizing the heightened tensions and the island’s determination to retaliate against any provocations.
According to a Taiwan military statement, the drones discover hovering above the Kinmen Island group on Tuesday. In addition, a drone sighted above the island of Dadan, located around 15 kilometers (9 miles) off the Chinese shore.
The uncrewed aerial vehicles describe as having “civilian purpose” in the statement from Wednesday. But no more information was provided.
It said that after the rounds fired, the drones returned to the adjacent Chinese city of Xiamen. Before this, Taiwan has only used flares as warnings.
After China launched missiles into the water and moved aircraft and ships beyond the line separating them in the Taiwan Strait earlier this month, tensions have been at an all-time high.
It came after vehement rhetoric from Beijing in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan. The highest-ranking US dignitary to do so in the previous 25 years.
Recent Chinese efforts have seen as a practice run for a potential blockade or invasion since China claims Taiwan as its territory. The US, Taiwan’s main ally, and other regional democracies like Australia and Japan strongly condemned China’s exercises.
Early in August, a few of China’s missiles landed in the exclusive economic zone of Japan, which lies close.
A remnant of Chiang Kai-Nationalists’ shek’s attempt to hang onto the mainland after being forced out during a civil war in 1949 by Mao Zedong’s Communists. Taiwan retains sovereignty of several islands in the Kinmen and Matsu groups in the Taiwan Straits.
The 23 million inhabitants of the island, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, were not intimidated by China’s activities. Instead, they strengthened support for the military forces and the country’s de facto independence.
Officials said that as part of the Defense Ministry’s yearly budget increase of 12.9% for the next year, anti-drone defenses upgrade. As a result, for a total of 415.1 billion NTD (USD 13.8 billion) for the year, the government intends to spend an extra 47.5 billion NTD (USD 1.6 billion).
A USD 1.1 billion military package for Taiwan, which would include anti-ship and air-to-air missiles to deploye to thwart any future Chinese invasion effort, is also apparently prepared for approval by the US.
The US sent two warships across the Taiwan Strait after the Chinese maneuvers. China has attempted to claim as its own territorial waters.
Foreign delegations from the US, Japan, and Europe have persisted in coming to Taipei to provide economic and diplomatic assistance. For example, Doug Ducey, the governor of Arizona, is presently in Taiwan to talk about semiconductor manufacturing.
Semiconductors are crucial components of daily electronics and have become a flashpoint in the US-China technological arms race.
The new USD 12 billion Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (TSMC) facility constructed in Ducey’s state is looking for suppliers.
On his official website, the governor said his goal was to “take these connections to the next level, to deepen them, extend them, and guarantee that they stay mutually beneficial.” The governor is also visiting the tech superpower, South Korea.
The governor of Indiana made a similar trip to Taiwan last week.
For more than 25 years, Taiwanese Air Force pilots have trained at Luke Air Force Base south of Phoenix. Demonstrating the US’s ongoing support for Taiwan’s military despite the absence of official diplomatic relations.
More than half of the world’s supply of high-end CPU chips comes from Taiwan. However, the disruption caused by China’s missile firings during its drills underlined the potential for a suspension of chip shipments.
China reiterated its opposition to formal interactions between the US and Taiwan on Wednesday in response to Ducey’s visit. That served as yet another reminder of the Communist Party’s reluctance to recognize the US government’s system of checks. And balances and the freedom of local officials to carry out their duties without interference from the executive branch.
Zhao Lijian, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, stated during a daily briefing that “we encourage the relevant parties in the US to… halt all types of formal communication with Taiwan, and avoid from giving erroneous signals to the Taiwan independence forces.”
Zhao said that China would firmly protect its territorial integrity and national sovereignty.
