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TAIPEI: Taiwan said on Monday (September 21) that its armed forces have the right to self-defense and to counterattack amid “harassment and threats”, in an apparent warning to China, which last week sent numerous planes across the middle line of the sensitive Taiwan Strait.
Tensions have soared in recent months between Taipei and Beijing, which asserts that Taiwan is democratically ruled as its own territory, to be taken by force if necessary.
Multiple Chinese planes crossed the middle line of the Taiwan Straits and entered the island’s air defense identification zone on Friday and Saturday, prompting Taiwan to launch intercept planes and President Tsai Ing-wen to call China. a threat to the region.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that it had “clearly defined” procedures for the island’s first response amid “the high frequency of harassment and threats from enemy warships and aircraft this year.”
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He said Taiwan has the right to “self-defense and counterattack” and that it followed the pattern of “not escalating the conflict or causing incidents.”
Taiwan will not provoke, but neither does it “fear the enemy,” he added.
The Chinese drills were held last week when Beijing expressed anger at the visit of a senior US official to Taipei.
China has been angered by increased US support for Taiwan, including two visits in two months by senior officials, one in August by Health Secretary Alex Azar and the other last week by Keith Krach, undersecretary for economic affairs.
The United States, which has no official diplomatic ties to the island but is its strongest international sponsor, is also planning major new arms sales to Taiwan.
This month, China conducted rare large-scale drills near Taiwan, which Taipei called a serious provocation. China said the exercise was a necessity to protect its sovereignty.
