Will the delicate dance between eagles and dragons around Taiwan explode or simmer into another cold strategic stalemate?
At a Glance
- China mobilized its military to monitor a US aircraft over the Taiwan Strait.
- The US frequently transits the strait to assert its international status.
- China condemns US actions as a breach of sovereignty.
- The US Navy asserts the flight as commitment to a free Indo-Pacific.
Tensions Escalate in the Taiwan Strait
China’s military response to a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flight over the Taiwan Strait has reignited tensions in an already fraught region. Beijing deployed both air and naval forces to keep a watchful eye on the US aircraft, demonstrating its steadfast claim over the strait. This maneuver aligns with previous incidents where military activity near Taiwan by China has been frequent, bolstering claims on Taiwan as inseparable from its territory.
The US sees the strait as international waters and conducts these flights to assert navigational freedoms while maintaining Taiwan’s strategic security edge. On November 26, the Poseidon aircraft soared through what America and its allies consider accessible airspace, contributing to international oversight and applying gentle pressure to the Chinese government’s territorial ambitions. The routine mission mirrored similar activities in April this and last July – both drawing vehement protests from China.
#China sends fighter jets to shadow #USNavy plane over #Taiwan Strait
China's military said on Wednesday it sent fighter jets to monitor and warn a U.S. Navy patrol aircraft that flew over the sensitive Taiwan Strait, a mission that took place just hours after a call between the… pic.twitter.com/FlrxJNugDm
— Indo-Pacific News – Geo-Politics & Defense (@IndoPac_Info) April 17, 2024
Beijing’s Reaction
Beijing chastised America’s navigation mission as “openly hyped,” and accused the United States of misleading the international community and encouraging it to question China’s territorial claims. The Chinese government has also suggested that US assertions twist the compass needle on international laws.
“US remarks distort legal principles, confuse the public and mislead international perception,” Cao Jun, a senior colonel and spokesman for China’s Eastern Theatre Air Force, said in a statement.
China's military said on Tuesday it deployed naval and air forces to monitor and warn a U.S. Navy patrol aircraft that flew through the sensitive #Taiwan Strait, denouncing the United States for trying to "mislead" the international community.https://t.co/gel4iaJdrm
— William Yang (@WilliamYang120) November 26, 2024
Commitment to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific
The US Navy declared that its flights in international skies demonstrate its commitment to a “free and open” Indo-Pacific, and are part of its efforts to safeguard essential waterways from unilateral territorial assertions. For Taiwan, this overflight is part and parcel of its delicate collaboration with its main security ally, the US. Still, official diplomatic ties remain unofficial.
Strategically, the P-8A Poseidon is an invaluable asset to the US military, equipped for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and furnished with sensors and radar capabilities. Such flights have historically been targets of Chinese demonstrations, including incidents of harassment and even laser targeting from Chinese ships.
