CCP’s Aggressive Maneuvers Escalate Tensions in Taiwan Strait

The Chinese Communist Party has once again flexed its military muscle, this time on Lunar New Year’s Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year. The CCP reportedly dispatched 14 sorties of aircraft and 13 sorties of military vessels near the Taiwan Strait, but did not penetrate the southwest airspace or cross the median line of the Taiwan Strait. This aggressive behaviour is nothing new from the CCP. Military aircraft have been flying missions across the Taiwan Strait throughout the Spring Festival on a routine basis in recent years, but this year’s total has dramatically increased. Data indicates that on January 31st, 2022, New Year’s Eve, Taiwan’s military detected five CCP military aircraft intruding into Taiwan’s southwest air defence identification zone, with one J-16D fighter jet even crossing the South China Sea centerline and suspected of flying alone. Furthermore, ten military aircraft and four warships from Communist China were spotted operating in the Taiwan Strait between the hours of 6:00 am on December 31st and 6:00 am on January 1st. The leader of the air group of the first combat unit of the PLA Air Force, Yang Juncheng, even bragged in an interview with the official media of Communist China that when flying the J-20 fighter jet from his cockpit overlooking Taiwan, he could clearly see the entire coastline and mountains. This aggressive behaviour from the CCP, coupled with the boastful statements from their military leaders, only serves to escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait. The fact that the Taiwanese military is unable to determine the whereabouts of the J-20 further highlights the CCP’s dangerous military posturing. The international community must take notice and take action to hold the CCP accountable for their actions.