Increased Chinese Military Activity around Taiwan Coincides with Janet Yellen’s Visit to Beijing

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Title: Chinese Military Sends Multiple Planes and Boats to Taiwan Amid US-China Tensions

Date: [Current Date]

Beijing – In a strong display of force, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed 13 planes and six boats to the airspace and waters surrounding Taiwan within the past 24 hours. This aggressive move coincides with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s visit to Beijing, as Washington seeks to alleviate strained relationships with Beijing.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry has confirmed that it is closely monitoring the situation from the air and sea, with ground-based missile systems prepared to respond if necessary. Four Chinese planes, including two SU-30 fighters, a BZK-005 reconnaissance plane, and a Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane, breached the median line of the Taiwan Strait, effectively crossing the de facto border separating the two parties and entering Taiwan’s Southwest Air Defense Identification Zone.

China has persistently claimed Taiwan as its own territory, emphasizing its willingness to annex the island by force if deemed necessary. Beijing has been regularly sending air and naval missions near Taiwan’s borders in an attempt to erode the island’s defensive capabilities and intimidate its 23 million inhabitants. So far, the Taiwanese people seem undeterred by such maneuvers.

The United States‘ strong support for Taiwan, an autonomous republic that separated from mainland China during the civil war in 1949, has been a major irritant in the fraught relations between Washington and Beijing.

Coinciding with Yellen’s visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit to the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater headquarters on Thursday, located directly across the Taiwan Strait from the island. State media reported that Xi emphasized the need to “break new ground for theater command development and war preparedness” during his address to commanders at the headquarters in Jiangsu province.

Xi also called for the improvement of combat planning and intensified training in realistic combat conditions to enhance the fighting capability of the Chinese armed forces, according to reports.

The PLA, the world‘s largest standing armed force, operates under the leadership of a committee headed by Xi and serves as the military arm of the Communist Party.

Additionally, Beijing vehemently opposes US military support for Taiwan. Just recently, China criticized the upcoming sale of $440 million worth of cannon shells and other equipment to Taiwan, accusing the United States of transforming the island into a powder keg.

Notably, Yellen’s visit does not include a scheduled meeting with President Xi.

As tensions continue to simmer in the region, the situation between China and Taiwan remains delicate, with both sides unwilling to back down. International observers closely monitor the developments, hoping for diplomatic solutions to prevail.

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