China and Taiwan’s arms build-up
Chin Tsong
Published 9:27 am
Taiwan’s mass production of a long-range missile last month as part of the plan to modernise its military has once again underscored how large and real the Chinese threat of annexation of the island nation has become.
The twin developments of the missile production and the development of three additional missile models follow closely on the heels of China’s biggest ever military intrusion into Taiwanese air in late January. On January 23, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force flew over a dozen aircraft over Taiwan’s air identification defence zone (ADIZ). The planes included a Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft, four J-16 fighter jets and eight Xian H-6K bombers. The next day, a second sortie intruded into the Taiwanese airspace, comprising 15 aircraft two Y-8 anti-submarine planes, two SU-30 fighter jets, six J-10 jet fighters, four J-16s and one Y-8 reconnaissance plane.