Taiwan Says China Military Trying to Wear it Out, but it Can Respond
November 29, 2021
TAIPEI, Nov 29 (Reuters) - China's military is trying to wear out Taiwan's armed forces with its repeated missions nearby, but Taiwan is capable of responding, Taipei's defence minister said on Monday after a renewed spike in Chinese air force activity.
Taiwan scrambled fighters again on Sunday after 27 Chinese air force planes again entered its air defence identification zone, or ADIZ."Their intention is to slowly exhaust, to let you know that we have this power," Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told reporters on the sidelines of a parliamentary briefing for lawmakers, when asked about the latest incursion.
"Our national forces have shown that, while you may have this power, we have countermeasures."
Taiwan has complained for a year or more of repeated missions by China's air force near the democratically governed island and in its ADIZ - not its territorial air space, but a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols that acts to give it more time to respond to any threats.
Story by Sarah Wu for Reuters. Cover image of Taiwan skyline by Timo Volz.
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