By Daniel DePetris
In a four-day stretch, 145 Chinese aircraft, including fighters and bombers, entered the Taiwan Strait and flew inside Taiwan’s self-declared defensive zone, including a record 56 planes on Monday alone. For the Taiwanese government of President Tsai Ing-wen, the flights demonstrate that the Chinese Communist Party is intent on subjugating Taiwan at all costs, a policy Chinese President Xi Jinping hinted at in his July 1 address to mark the party’s 100th anniversary.
Ever since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, Beijing has referred to Taiwan as a renegade province that should be reunified with the mainland. The U.S. takes no formal position on the sovereignty of Taiwan — a fellow democracy and security partner — but it insists on the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. However, in response to the flights, the State Department immediately denounced China’s military activity as “provocative,” arguing that the flights enhance miscalculation and undermine regional stability.
Some U.S. lawmakers are advocating for the U.S. to use military force if China invades or attacks Taiwan. But while China’s incursions into the Taiwanese defense zone are no doubt alarming, to the extent that the U.S. has any role in this dispute, it’s to calm the waters, not stir them up.
This piece was originally published in NBC News on October 6, 2021. Read more HERE.