Announcements say that Taipei buys new jets worth $1.4 Billion, which increases the defense budget arm the island enclave against an encroaching People's Liberation Army (PLA). The boost in new arms comes as the CCP has said it will take Taiwan by force if necessary.
Under its one-China rule, Beijing does not allow the Republic of Taiwan (ROC) to be forever independent of the mainland. Giving rise to the specter of Conflict in the East China Sea and the South China Sea as powder keg waiting to be lit. The island enclave is continually under threat from incursions in its airspace, and even in the Straits by saber-rattling Xi Jinping.
Taipei sets more defense budget
Reports say that President Tsai Ing-wen declared an increase of 10% budget in defense spending in 2021, to $16.89 bn for more warplanes to defend the island from the Chinese air force. To this day, Beijing affirmed that Taiwan is not independent, reported the Express UK.
What Taipei spent for the amount was not specified by its government, but speculation is that Taiwan will use the budget for the US F-16 Fighting Falcons, one of the best fighters.
In 2019, the US allowed the sale of F-16s worth $8 bn to the island. Which is critical to its air force and offensive and defensive capability, noted the NY Times Post.
The Taiwanese Air Force will have 200 of these top-of-the-line multi-role fighters, more than any possessed by an Asian country. Approval for this new batch will need the go signal of the Taiwan Parliament. When Taipei buys new jets to add to its arsenal, it will hinder the PLA from getting what it wants, cited SCMP.
Read Also: Taiwan Holds Biggest War Games as Beijing Ramps Up Its Attempt to Isolate it From Allies
Beijing is closing the gap to the US
China's budget for the defense was more than 6.8% in 2020, to get closes to the military spending of the US. A week ago, the PLA had repeat drills in the Taiwan Strait, while its military planes would test the air defense continually to put the Taiwanese on the knife's edge.
2 PLA aircraft (Y-8 ASW and Z-9 ASW) entered #Taiwan’s southwest ADIZ in the afternoon of August. 26, 2021. Please check our official website for more information: https://t.co/9J3kMkgFbe pic.twitter.com/Si4WABHIrO
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) August 26, 2021
Last August 25, the defense ministry said that a Chinese Y-8 ASW transport plane had violated their airspace again. In August alone, there were about 11 illegal incursions in the ADIZ (Air Defence Identification Zone).
On August 18, six fighters, two bombers, and three AWACS flew over Taiwan in an intel mission. Taiwanese Media mentions that a US Naval op with an EP-3E spy plane and P-8A ASW plane were in the southwest ADIZ and close to Bashi Channel.
Last June 15, 28 Chinese warbirds entered restricted airspace that was the most number on one occasion.
Taiwan ROC is a haven from the Chinese CCP
When the losing nationalist faction from China retreated in the 1927-1949 Civil war, they formed Taiwan or the Republic of China (ROC) even though the communist victory in the mainland has been after the island enclave. Despite a lack of recognition as a formal state, the US is an ally to Taiwan.
In Singapore, the vice-president, Kamala Harris, called on Beijing for its coercive ways and tried to reassure that the US will standby. When Biden came into power and was against the Chinese occupation of the Indo-Pacific, and based the Afghan withdrawal on this argument, now, the failure in Afghanistan has shifted focus to Taiwan.
