Fighting between Beijing and Taiwan continues as it gathers new US military aid – Defense Analysis

On September 1, Taiwan’s military forces shot down an “unidentified civilian drone” in the sky above Taiwan’s fortified island of Kinmen Archipelago, 2 kilometers off the coast of the People’s Republic of China, after an air defense warning shot. According to a report by Cna Agency, the Kinmen Defense Command announced this. The same source confirmed that two days earlier, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen announced “strong countermeasures” against Chinese provocations, warning bombs laced with dangerous explosives were fired at Chinese unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Chinese UAVs have left the area in the direction of Xiamen in the eastern Chinese province of Fujian. Taipei’s defense ministry has vowed to “do whatever it takes” to defend Taiwan, saying China’s recent military maneuvers have put the situation in the Formosa Strait at risk.

In a provocation, on September 2, Kinmen Garrison found a red garbage bag containing soy eggs and vegetables in a bag on Gui Shan beach. Unique contents are wrapped in a red garbage bag.

The island’s military command suspects it was a Chinese drone-launched package (or “delivered” from the sea by Chinese raiders?) that went undetected. Either way, Beijing seems to want to demonstrate that it can operate with impunity on Kinmen Island.

On September 3, the US administration approved a $1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan. The package includes 60 Agm-84L Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles for 355 million and 100 Aim-9X Block II Sidewinder air-to-air missiles (intended to engage F-16 fighters) for 85.6 million, plus an additional 655.4 million. Extension of Agreement for Radar Surveillance.

Beijing responded that it would “resolutely take legal and necessary countermeasures” if the US did not end new arms sales to Taipei.

The White House announced at the end of September that Joe Biden will host the leaders of the Pacific Islands for the first regional summit, with the clear objective of curbing China’s political and commercial expansion in the Pacific and reaffirming maritime freedom and security.

Washington banned two American microchip companies (NVIDIA and AMD) from selling their state-of-the-art microprocessors in Beijing.

Photo courtesy of Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense