China’s PLA appears to have instigated clash: US

Fourth incursion recorded in as many days as warplanes buzz island frequently

Taipei, June 19: Taiwan said a Chinese fighter jet entered its defence zone on Friday, the fourth incursion in as many days as Beijing’s warplanes buzz the island with an unprecedented frequency.

The defence ministry said at least one J-10 fighter flew into Taiwan’s southwestern air defence identification zone (ADIZ), prompting Taipei to scramble its own jets.

“The Chinese communist aircraft left our ADIZ after we broadcast warnings to leave,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ADIZ stretches beyond Taiwan’s airspace and is used to give an early warning of possible incursions. China maintains a similar air defence zone.

Breaches used to be rare, but in the last two weeks six incursions by Chinese jets have been made public by Taiwan.

The sudden uptick came after a US military plane flew through Taiwanese airspace with permission.

Beijing views democratic and self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary.

It has ramped up military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, who refuses to acknowledge that the island is part of “one China”.

The pressure has done little to dent Tsai’s popularity and she won a landslide second term in January.

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday urged Beijing to respect Hong Kong’s special status in international law, in a speech aired live in Denmark.

“By allowing anti-democratic forces and autocrats to advance abroad, we are neglecting our own democratic values,” she said via video to the annual Copenhagen Democracy Summit.

“Taiwan has joined the international community in urging the Beijing authorities to honour their obligation to respect Hong Kong’s fundamental freedoms” she added. — AFP

Washington, June 19: For the sake of grabbing Indian territory, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China appears to have “instigated” the most violent clash between the two Asian giants, a top American Senator has said.

At least 20 Indian Army personnel were killed in the clashes with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night. China’s official media has acknowledged casualties on the Chinese side without mentioning numbers.

In a major foreign policy speech on the floor of the House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday said that “on land, for the sake of grabbing territory, the PLA appears to have instigated the most violent clash between China and India since those nations went to war in 1962”.

In his speech, China topped the list of countries, threatening the interests of the US and its allies. “Needless to say, the rest of the world has watched with grave concern this violent exchange between two nuclear states. We are encouraging de-escalation and hoping for peace.”

“But the world could not have received a clearer reminder that the PRC (People’s Republic of China) is dead-set on brutalizing people within their own borders, challenging and remaking the international order anew in their image to include literally redrawing the world map,” McConnell said.

He said that the

Communist Party of China has used the Covid19 pandemic as a smokescreen for ratcheting up their oppression of Hong Kong and advancing their control and influence throughout the region.

“At sea, they have stepped up their menacing of Japan near the Senkaku Islands. In the skies, Chinese jets have intruded into Taiwanese airspace four separate times in a matter of days,” the top Republican Senator said in his speech. Meanwhile, Congressman Jim Banks welcomed India’s decision to ban Huawei and ZTE from its telecom network. “Always best to push back against Chinese Communist Party thugs. India will not be intimidated. A strong, wise decision!” Banks said. — PTI