TAIPEI, March 15 (Reuters) – Taiwan on Sunday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities around the island after an unexplained absence of more than two weeks that prompted speculation in Taipei as to Beijing’s motives.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, normally sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the island on a daily basis, with interruptions generally caused by bad weather.
Taiwan’s defence ministry, in a daily update on Sunday morning, said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft, concentrated in the Taiwan Strait, over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many on February 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft after saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat readiness patrol”.
From February 27, Taiwan reported no Chinese military aircraft until March 7, when it said it spotted two aircraft to Taiwan’s far southwest. There have been only sporadic, small-scale incidents since then.
China has provided no explanation for its motives and did not respond to a further request for comment on Sunday.
But China’s Taiwan Affairs Office late on Saturday lambasted Taiwan President Lai Ching-te for a speech that day discussing the need to boost defence spending and protect the island’s democracy.
“People like Lai Ching-te should not miscalculate; if they dare to take reckless risks, they will dig their own grave,” an office spokesperson said in a statement.
Officials and experts in Taipei have said reasons for the disappearance of the aircraft could range from Beijing trying to recalibrate its pressure campaign ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China from March 31 to President Xi Jinping’s ongoing purge of senior Chinese generals.
Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo has said that while the aircraft had gone, the Chinese warships around the island remained and China’s threat had not gone away.
Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Ryan Woo in Beijing; Editing by William Mallard)
