China launches extensive exercises in the Taiwan Strait

Following the adoption of the US Act FY2023 National Defense Authority Act, increasing support for Taiwan's defence, China conducted their greatest military exercises in the Taiwan Strait since Nancy Pelosi' visit to Taipei. This event is one of the largest demonstrations of force in the history of the region.

Within 24 hours, from Sunday to Monday morning, the Chinese military sent 71 aircraft and seven warships to the waters surrounding Taiwan. Nearly 50 aircraft crossed the unofficial "central line" along the Taiwan Strait.

Global Times, an English-speaking tabloid belonging to the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China, described the exercises as "recorded" and linked them directly to U.S. military support for Taiwan.

US funding of military equipment for the island of Taiwan is a large provocation that crossed a certain border (red line). PLA exercises were an answer that showed her strong will and her abilities.
Retired Air Force veteran PLA Fu Qianshao

The FY2023 NDAA is a generous package, both for American troops and the forces of the alliance. It is $45 billion bigger than the White House originally predicted. This package is filled with additional warships for the US Navy, a large aid to Ukraine and a $2 billion loan package for military aid to Taiwan.

Loans of $2 billion, under Foreign Military Finance (FMF), will allow Taiwan to purchase more defense equipment from US producers, subject to availability and approval by the US Departments of State and Defence.

This bill also includes a record that would require federal agencies to act quickly to approve Taiwan's requests for purchase, including purchases worth $14 billion that Taipei has already made and is still waiting for. These arrears include US$8 billion F-16 fighters, anti-ship missiles Harpoon value $2.4 billion, anti-ship missiles SLAM-ER worth $1 billion and $ 0.6 billion in air defense parts Patriot – which are key to resisting the sea invasion.

Taiwan has also gained a higher status, which puts it higher in line for "over-defensive measures", such as outdated American ships and military vehicles. This, however, did not ensure that diplomatic relations were improved, which the White House found unnecessarily provocative.

Source: US Navy