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China stepped up activities in Taiwan’s airspace on Sunday, flying 15 fighter jets between mainland Taiwan and the Pratas Islands in the South China Sea, according to a report.
Reuters, which cited the Taiwan Defense Ministry, reported that the jets included six J-10 fighters, two SU-30s and other military jets. A day earlier, China flew eight bombers and four fighters in the same airspace, according to the report.
The show of force was seen by some observers as a remarkable milestone for Beijing in President Biden’s first week in office. Nikkei Asia reported that it is not uncommon for China to send planes to the region, but it is rare for the country to send more than 10 at a time and for two consecutive days.
Ned Price, a spokesperson for the US State Department, said Washington “notes with concern the ongoing PRC scheme [People’s Republic of China] tries to intimidate its neighbors, including Taiwan. “
“We urge Beijing to end its military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with the democratically elected representatives of Taiwan,” he said in the statement.
The Reuters report said the Taiwan Air Force responded to the incursion. Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign state. Beijing’s move was aimed at putting pressure on President Tsai Ing-wen’s government to give in to its demand that it recognize Taiwan as part of Chinese territory.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier team entered the South China Sea on Sunday to exercise “the freedom of the seas” and the Biden administration said its commitment to Taiwan was “rock solid,” according to the report. Reuters.
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Antony Blinken, Biden’s choice for Secretary of State, has pledged to repair the damage done to the State Department and America’s image abroad over the past four years, while pursuing a stricter approach from China.
Hsiao Bi-him, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the United States, was also invited to Biden’s inauguration, which the BBC says is a sign of the commitment of the new White House.
China imposed sanctions Wednesday on more than two dozen former Trump administration officials, including outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as Biden was sworn in.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Argued on Sunday that the sanctions against former Trump administration officials are a “dangerous escalation” and “insidiousness in China’s efforts to influence US policy.”
Fox News’ Talia Kaplan and Associated Press contributed to this report
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