TX076 China Incursion Into Taiwan

中国、今年2番目の規模の台湾防衛圏侵犯　

China makes second largest Taiwan defence zone incursion this year

by AFP Staff Writers
Taipei (AFP) May 31, 2022

　中国は、台湾の防空識別圏に、今年2番目に大きな侵攻を実行、台北サイドは20機以上の戦闘機を含む30機のジェット機を進入させたと報告している。

　台湾の国防省は月曜日遅く、中国の最新の活動を監視するため、独自の航空機をスクランブし、防空ミサイルシステムを配備したと発表した。近年、北京は台湾の防衛区域に大規模な出撃を開始し、不満を示し、台北の老朽化した戦闘機隊に定期的にストレスを与えるようになっている。民主的な台湾は、中国による侵略の脅威にさらされている。中国は台湾を自国の領土とみなしており、必要なら武力で台湾を奪取することを公言している。

　月曜日の侵入は、1月23日に39機が防空識別圏、またはADIZに侵入して以来、最大となった。ADIZは台湾の領空とは異なるが、中国自身の防空識別圏の一部と重なり、本土の一部も含むはるかに広い範囲を含んでいる。台湾国防省が提供した飛行マップでは、飛行機がADIZの南西の隅に入り、再びループアウトしているのが示されている。

– ‘Increasingly provocative’ –

The United States last week accused Beijing of raising tensions over the island, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken specifically mentioning aircraft incursions as an example of “increasingly provocative rhetoric and activity”.

Blinken’s remarks came after US President Joe Biden appeared to break decades of US policy when, in response to a question on a visit to Japan, he said Washington would defend Taiwan militarily if it is attacked by China.

But the White House has since insisted its policy of “strategic ambiguity” over whether or not it would intervene has not changed.

There is growing bipartisan discussion in Washington over whether to switch to “strategic clarity” given Beijing’s increasingly aggressive approach to cross-strait relations, epitomised by the air incursions.

US senators have made multiple trips to the island in a show of support — a group led by Republican Lindsey Graham visited in April, and Democrat Tammy Duckworth landed in Taipei on Monday.

Duckworth was one of the main sponsors of the Taiwan Partnership Act, which aims to deepen security ties between Taipei and Washington. It has yet to be voted on or become law.

But after a meeting with Duckworth on Tuesday, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen suggested that some form of link-up was already happening.

“As a result (of the Act), the US Department of Defence is now actively planning cooperation between the National Guard and Taiwan’s defence forces,” Tsai said in a statement, without explaining further.

– Constant alert –

Last year, Taiwan recorded 969 incursions by Chinese warplanes into its ADIZ, according to an AFP database — more than double the roughly 380 carried out in 2020.

The most number of aircraft China has sent in a single day was 56 on October 4, 2021.

That month saw a record 196 incursions, mostly around China’s annual national day celebrations.

So far in 2022 Taiwan has reported 465 incursions, a near 50 percent increase on the same period last year.

The sheer number of sorties has put the air force under immense pressure, and it has suffered a string of fatal accidents in recent years.

On Tuesday local media reported that a pilot had died after crashing a trainer jet in southern Kaohsiung.

It is not the first deadly crash this year — in January one of Taiwan’s most advanced fighter jets, an F-16V, plunged into the sea.

Last March, Taiwan grounded all military aircraft after a pilot was killed and another went missing when their fighters collided mid-air in the third fatal crash in less than six months.

AFP通信、2022年5月26日

２．ブリンケンは台湾に関する中国を非難し、米国のスタンスは変わらないと述べた

Blinken denounces China on Taiwan, says US stance unchanged

by AFP Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) May 26, 2022

　アントニー・ブリンケン米国務長官は木曜日、北京が台湾に対する緊張を高めていると非難し、ジョー・バイデン大統領が台湾を防衛すると述べた後も、米国の政策は変わっていないと主張した。「我々の政策は変わっていないが、変わったのは北京の強圧性が増したことだ」とブリンケン氏は中国に関することを含む、幅広いスピーチで述べた。

Hailing Taiwan as a “vibrant democracy and leading economy,” Blinken said that the United States would pursue its “strong unofficial relationship” including providing arms but reiterated that the United States recognizes only Beijing.

“We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side, we do not support Taiwan independence and we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means,” he said.

Biden appeared to break decades of US policy on a weekend visit to Japan by saying in response to a question that the United States would defend Taiwan militarily if it is attacked by China.

He later insisted there was no change in the US stance of “strategic ambiguity” on whether Washington would intervene more directly than providing weapons to Taiwan.

China claims Taiwan, where the mainland’s nationalists fled in 1949 after losing the civil war to the communists, to be a province awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.

The United States switched recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.