Taiwan military says it will act in ‘self-defense’ after repeated Chinese aircraft activity

Taiwan’s military said Monday that it has the right to act in self-defense and launch a counterattack when faced with “harassment and threats” after 18 Chinese planes crossed the disputed midline of the Taiwan Strait, causing Taiwan to deploy fighter jets and a missile defense system.

The incident occurred as U.S. officials participated in talks with Taiwanese officials in Taipei. Chinese officials had earlier claimed that Taiwan was colluding with the U.S. and condemned the meeting.

In a statement, Taiwan’s defense ministry said that it “clearly defined” its response to “high frequency of harassment and threats from the enemy’s warships and aircraft this year,” Reuters reported.

The defense ministry maintained that it had the right to “self-defense and to counterattack” and did not spark “escalation of conflict and no triggering incidents,” in line with its existing guidelines.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has regularly reacted with a special concern to signs that the U.S. was bolstering the independence of Taiwan.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, defended its move and said that Taiwan is “an inseparable part of Chinese territory.”

“The so-called midline of the Strait does not exist,” the spokesperson said.

The latest incident marks the second time in roughly six weeks that Taiwan has scrambled a response to aircraft activity from China during a high-level U.S. visit.

Last month, China briefly deployed two fighter jets across the midline of the Taiwan Strait shortly ahead of a visit between U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

Beijing then flew J-11 and J-10 jet fighters into Taiwan’s part of the narrow strait. Taiwan tracked the jets using land-based anti-aircraft missiles and were “driven out” by patrolling aircraft.