China on Sunday increased its activity in Taiwan’s airspace by flying 15 fighter jets between mainland Taiwan and the Pratas Islands in the South China Sea, a report said.
Reuters, quoting Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, reported that the planes included six J-10 fighters, two US-30s and other military aircraft. A day earlier, China had flown eight bombers and four fighters into the same airspace, the report said.
The observation of violence is seen by some observers as a remarkable step through Beijing during the first week of President Biden’s term. Nikkei Asia reported that it is not uncommon for China to send planes to the region, but it is rare for the country to send more than ten simultaneously and for two consecutive days.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Washington “is concerned about the pattern of the ongoing VRC. [People’s Republic of China] attempts to intimidate its neighbors, including Taiwan. ‘
“We call on Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan and instead engage in a meaningful dialogue with the democratically elected representatives of Taiwan,” he said in the statement.
According to the Reuters report, the Taiwanese air force responded to the invasion. Taiwan considers itself a sovereign state. The move by Beijing was aimed at putting pressure on President Tsai Ing-wen’s government to concede to its demand that it recognize Taiwan as part of Chinese territory.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier team entered the South China Sea on Sunday to exercise “freedom of the sea”, and the Biden government said its commitment to Taiwan was “rock solid”, according to a Reuters report.
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Antony Blinken, Biden’s choice to be Secretary of State, has committed to repairing damage to the State Department and America’s image abroad over the past four years, while continuing a stricter approach to China.
Hsiao Bi-hom, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the United States, was also invited to Biden’s inauguration, which according to the BBC is a sign of the new White House’s commitment.
China on Wednesday imposed sanctions on more than two dozen former Trump administration officials, including outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, just as Biden was sworn in.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Argued Sunday that sanctions against former Trump officials are a “dangerous” and “treacherous escalation of China’s attempt to influence US policy.”
Fox News’ Talia Kaplan and Associated Press contribute to this report