Taiwan's Defence Minister offers reassurances amid Chinese jet threat

Taipei [Taiwan], April 24 (ANI): After Taiwan's military expert issued a warning on Wednesday about Chinese warplanes encroaching closer to Taiwan, defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng offered reassurances to its people, Focus Taiwan reported.
Retired Air Force Lieutenant General Chang Yen-ting raised alarms based on a Ministry of National Defence chart posted on April 21 depicting two Chinese fighter jets breaching the Taiwan Strait median line, nearing Keelung city by 41 nautical miles.

We detected 21 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 17 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly. pic.twitter.com/SYgipoCqhc

— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) April 21, 2024

According to Focus Taiwan, Chang's analysis suggested that a People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft could reach Taipei's Presidential Office within four to five minutes, leaving scant time for Taiwan's military to respond adequately.
Further, Chang highlighted the critical six-minute window required for Taiwanese warplanes to intercept intruding PLA aircraft, underscoring the urgent need for preparedness against potential incursions.
Before a fighter jet gets close to Taiwan's airspace, Chang said Taiwan's military can only continue to monitor and track down PLA warplanes with anti-air missile systems, exposing the weakness of the nation's air-defence system, Chang added, as per Focus Taiwan.
Asked to comment on Chang's warning, Chiu said Wednesday that Taiwan's military has a regular intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system in place "exactly for the purpose of preventing the scenario from happening," without elaborating.
He confirmed, however, that without military counterattack measures in place, "it is true that a fighter jet would reach the Presidential Office within three to five minutes [if they are 41 nautical miles (76 kilometres) from Keelung]."
Chiu was also asked about local media reports that a Chinese oceanographic survey and research ship the Xiang Yang Hong No. 6 was detected in waters off Hualien County on April 22.
He answered that it was not unusual for Taiwan to detect Chinese survey and research ships in waters around Taiwan, and while noting that the latest detection of a Chinese vessel "came at a sensitive time," he said Taiwan's Coast Guard and military have responses ready, without elaborating.
The MND has issued daily reports on Chinese military activities for the past few years, including identifying those Chinese aircraft, drones, and balloons that are found to have crossed the Taiwan Strait median line to the Taiwan side.
On Tuesday, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence detected six Chinese naval vessels and two military aircraft around the country between 6 am on April 22 and 6 am on April 23, Taiwan News reported.
The median line of the Taiwan Strait served for decades as a tacit border between China and Taiwan, but China's military has more freely sent aircraft, warships and drones across it since former United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022.
Meanwhile, China is currently trying to open two new air routes, with flight paths near two outlying islands controlled by Taiwan, which is its latest move to up the pressure on Taiwan, Voice of America reported, citing several analysts.
The M503 route runs alongside the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which once served as an unofficial border between China and Taiwan.
Since the new air routes initiated by Beijing run very close to the median line of the Taiwan Strait, some experts say China is trying to redefine the status quo across the Taiwan Strait based on its terms, China's Taiwan Affairs Office, which oversees cross-strait relations, said. (ANI)