China Conducts Joint Patrols Ahead of Taiwan's National Day

China ramps up its military pressure around Taiwan just as the country celebrates its National Day, with 27 military aircraft spotted in the region.

Transcript

00:00China has been increasing its military activity in the region ahead of Taiwan's National Day.

00:06On Thursday, Taiwan's defense ministry reported 27 Chinese military aircraft operating around

00:12the country.

00:13That's an unusually high number.

00:15Now 15 of those planes breached Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ.

00:21This airspace is not part of Taiwan's territory, but the military uses it as a buffer zone

00:25for security purposes.

00:27Those planes were part of a Joint Combat Readiness Patrol.

00:31It's important to remember that Chinese planes around Taiwan is a common way in which Beijing

00:35puts pressure on the country, but it's pretty likely that we'll see more activity coming

00:40from China.

00:41Back in May, after President Lai Ching De's inauguration speech, China reacted with two

00:46days of large-scale exercises, called Joint Sword 2024A.

00:52That simulated an attack on Taiwan with more than 100 aircraft taking part in that drill.

00:57Analysts say that Taiwan could use National Day, Taiwan's National Day, as a pretext to

01:02conduct more exercises.

01:05I don't want to say reaction because I think pretext is the right word.

01:08I think they're looking for an excuse.

01:11Obviously they can just ratchet up the political pressure on the Lai administration.

01:15They can also use this to just normalize military activity that didn't used to be normal.

01:21And then of course, in every one of these exercises, they are getting the chance to

01:24practice the things that they would want to practice before they might have to actually

01:28do this for real.

01:29Sources within Taiwan's defense ministry tell me that they are on the lookout for some sort

01:33of large-scale exercise, maybe even a Joint Sword B, which would be part two of China's

01:39exercises that took place in May.

01:41That could possibly simulate a blockade of Taiwan, which could last anywhere from a few

01:45days to even maybe a week.

01:48Howard Zung and Jaime O'Connor in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.