Taiwan Claims Chinese Combat Drone 'Encircled' Island

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Facts

  • The Taiwanese defense ministry said Friday that a long-range TB-001 Chinese combat drone had circled the island as 38 warplanes and six navy vessels were detected around Taiwan in 24 hours from Thursday morning.1
  • Nineteen of them, including the Chinese-manufactured, long-range combat unmanned aerial vehicle TB-001, reportedly entered the island's air defense identification zone (ADIZ).2
  • The TB-001, which Beijing claims can carry heavy weapons payload, reportedly flew around Taiwan, first crossing the Bashi Channel that separates the island from the Philippines, then up the east of Taiwan before returning to China.3
  • Full circuits around Taiwan are extremely rare despite the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) regularly sending aircraft into the island's ADIZ. No shots were reported, and none of the aircraft have flown in Taiwan's airspace.4
  • This is possible because the ADIZ extends far beyond the boundaries of the island nation's airspace, including a far greater area that overlaps with part of China's own ADIZ and even some of the mainland.5
  • Beijing has increased military pressure on the island over the past three years as it views Taipei as its own territory. This month, the PRC staged drills around Taiwan after its leader Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.3

Sources: 1DW, 2Focus Taiwan, 3Reuters, 4Guardian, and 5France 24.

Narratives

  • Anti-China narrative, as provided by Taiwan News. Beijing is waging psychological warfare on Taiwan by periodically sending Chinese military aircraft into the island nation's ADIZ. This pressure campaign aims to intimidate Taiwanese leaders and their citizens to achieve a political outcome favorable to China. The US must stand with its democratic ally and reject efforts by Beijing to undermine Taiwanese sovereignty.
  • Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. The island of Taiwan has been an integral part of the Chinese territory for centuries. However, the Chinese people on both sides of the Straits are yet to be reunified following the 1949 split. Beijing has long sought to peacefully reunify the motherland under the agreed-upon One China policy, but secessionist Taiwanese officials backed by the US have recently begun to pursue provocative actions that are threatening the status quo.

Predictions