China Launches Massive Sea, Air Combat Exercise, Scrambles Jets Around Taiwan

On Sunday, the People’s Republic of China’s military force, the People’s Liberation Army, began combat drills in the “waters” and “aerial areas” around Taiwan, claiming the move was “countering collusion between external forces and TW (Taiwan) secessionists.”

Chinese state-owned media Global Times posted on Twitter, “BREAKING: PLA Eastern Theater Command held cross-service joint alert patrol & combat drills in waters, aerial areas around Taiwan island on Sunday focusing on land attack, sea assault, in a move countering collusion between external forces and TW secessionists: spokesperson.”

On Twitter, Jack Posobiec wrote, “BREAKING: China just launched a massive sea and air combat exercise around Taiwan island They say their goal is to counter external forces colluding with ‘Taiwan secessionists'”

BREAKING: China just launched a massive sea and air combat exercise around Taiwan island

They say their goal is to counter external forces colluding with ‘Taiwan secessionists’ pic.twitter.com/O3ZzH1xD4d

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 8, 2023

The drills come days after Biden’s National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, spoke with Steve Inskeep, host of NPR’s Morning Edition, on Thursday and said that it will take “hard work” to avoid military conflict with China over Taiwan, a self-governed country that China claims is part of its greater domain under their one-China principle.

The one-China principle originates out of the People’s Republic of China and states that Taiwan is part of greater China. The one-China policy is the diplomatic positioning from the US and allies that acknowledge Taiwan as technically a part of China, even while diplomatic relations exist with the internal government of Tawain, called the Republic of China.

China has scrambled jets over the region Sunday. Jack Posobiec tweeted, “China just scrambled jets around Taiwan island.”

China just scrambled jets around Taiwan island pic.twitter.com/59V3Q7Z9ao

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 8, 2023

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan on August 2 despite warnings from China that it could be considered an act of aggression. Chinese President Xi Jinping told Joe Biden directly that Pelosi shouldn’t visit Taiwan and said “those who play with fire will only get burnt” as a warning to the American leader. China began war games soon after, launching a series of missiles over the Taiwan strait which escalated tensions in the region and with the US.

On his Human Events podcast, Jack Posobiec, whose recent China files detail the history of red China, including its geo-political positioning concerning Taiwan, said the Chinese leader’s comments to Biden were the equivalent of telling the US president that there was nothing the West could do about China’s ambitions of taking over Taiwan.

As part of their military drills, China fired 11 missiles after Pelosi’s visit, deployed 68 planes in the air, and 49 Chinese aircraft penetrated Taiwan’s “air defense identification zone.”

China also expressed recent concerns over provisions for Taiwan in Biden’s massive $1.7 trillion government omnibus bill. As a response, they began military exercises in the Taiwan Strait.

On multiple occasions, Joe Biden has simultaneously said the US respects China’s policy of sovereignty over Taiwan, while saying that the US would defend Taiwan militarily if China invaded, including in May and September.

Sunday, Jack Posobiec tweeted that, “The CCP has demanded the US cease military sales to Taiwan or they will respond with force.”

The CCP has demanded the US cease military sales to Taiwan or they will respond with force pic.twitter.com/eFMpJ2Q9bg

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 8, 2023