PLA Flies Warplanes Near Taiwan for Two Days, in Warning to U.S. and Taiwan To Cease Provocations

Sept. 20, 2020 (EIRNS)—For two days on Sept. 18-19, China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force flew large contingents of fighter jets and strategic bombers across the midpoint of the Taiwan Straits and entered the Taiwanese Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), flying near the southwestern and northwestern parts of the island. This is an immense warning by China to Taiwan and the United States, that they should cease “provocations” by U.S. Undersecretary of State Keith Krach, during his three-day visit to Taiwan, to attempt to lead Taiwan to break with China’s “One-China Policy.” Krach’s visit, deployed by Pompeo, is part of a devised pattern of escalating actions by the United States that could lead to nuclear war.

Krach arrived in Taiwan Sept. 17, the highest ranking State Department official to visit in the 41 years since the U.S. cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan. He was the guest at a private dinner with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen; attended the funeral of former president Lee Teng-hui (which featured a eulogy by the Dalai Lama); and met Taiwan’s top governmental leadership. Though the trip was billed as building U.S.-Taiwan bilateral economic affairs, little is known of the conversations.

The visit follows a deliberate pattern of escalating actions by elements of the United States government, including an increasing wave of Freedom of Navigation Operations by Naval groups, including aircraft carrier-led Carrier Strike Groups with air wing, in the South China Sea; attacks and sanctions against more than 100 Chinese companies and entities; and the attribution of blame on China for the creation and spread of the Covid-19.

On Sept. 19, China flew a fleet of 19 warplanes to Taiwan’s ADIZ. Focus Taiwan, the English version of the Taiwan news agency, reported: “A fleet of 19 military aircraft from China flew into Taiwan’s airspace in pincer formation Saturday morning, marking the second consecutive day of such an incursion, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense.” Focus Taiwan explained that “a pincer movement, also known as a double-envelopment, is designed to attack by facing the enemy in front, on both flanks, and in the rear.”

Focus Taiwan also reported, “Taiwan’s Defense Minister Yen De-fa and Chief of the General Staff Huang Shu-Kuang rushed to the command center to monitor the situation.”

China’s aircraft fleet comprised 12 J-16 multi-role strike fighters, two J-10 lightweight multi-role fighters, two J-11 air superiority fighters, quite importantly two H-6 strategic bombers, and a Y-8 anti-submarine patrol plane. Taiwanese aircraft scrambled to escort the Chinese aircraft out of the air space.

Global Times issued a very harsh warning of what the flight of 19 Chinese warplanes means (see separate slug).