Something's sus with China's recent moves across the Indo-Pacific and Taiwan

When it comes to the race to become a superpower, China is leading. Recently, China's behavior has raised suspicions in the past few days.

Regarding Taiwan, recent reports indicate that 13 Chinese Air Force planes encroached into its air defence zone, and the Pentagon has released videos and photos showing Chinese jets operating in unsettling proximity to US aircraft in the Indo-Pacific.

These events raise questions about China's intentions.

What's happening

• Taiwan's defence ministry detected 13 Chinese air force planes, including fighter jets and drones, entering Taiwan's air defense zone.
• This incident coincided with Chinese warships conducting "combat patrols" and drills.
• China has long claimed Taiwan as its territory, and these military activities have sparked concerns for the past four years.

Chinese jets can't keep calm

• The Pentagon recently shared videos and photos revealing 15 separate incidents where Chinese jets engaged in risky maneuvers in close proximity to US aircraft within the Indo-Pacific region.
• These actions are believed to be China's way of trying to affect the US operations in that region.

• It's concerning because there have been more than 180 similar incidents since late 2021, which is more than all the incidents in the past ten years combined.
• The Pentagon shared this information before an upcoming report on China's military strength and safety concerns in the Indo-Pacific.

Escalating tensions and Preparing for potential conflicts

• The US is gearing up for potential conflicts with China while also providing support to allies in other ongoing disputes.
• The Pentagon has revealed nearly 200 incidents in which Chinese military aircraft engaged in aggressive and risky maneuvers near US aircraft, attempting to disrupt safe US operations.

• It's not as bad as "unsafe and unprofessional," but it's still troubling.
• These concerning actions include a Chinese jet releasing flares close to a U.S. plane and another jet coming within 50 feet of a US aircraft.
• China's provocative behavior extends to US ships as well, contributing to an overall pattern of regional intimidation by China.

The India-China standoff

• Tensions between India and China have been increasing in recent years, particularly in the Ladakh region.
• A violent clash between their troops in June 2020 resulted in casualties on both sides, and the situation remains unresolved despite numerous talks.
• The tension extends to the eastern sector in Arunachal Pradesh, where clashes occurred in December 2022.
• China is making efforts to strengthen its claims by renaming places and changing maps.

India, US and China

• The India-China border issue has the potential to become a major problem in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Despite not having a formal treaty like NATO, India and the US have grown closer due to their shared concerns about China.
• The US has been closely monitoring the situation along the border since the 2020 standoff in Ladakh.
  China worries that India might align more closely with the US to counter the Chinese threat.

In 2023, the US Senate reaffirmed that Arunachal Pradesh is Indian territory and criticised China's aggressive policies.

China worries that India might align more closely with the US to counter the Chinese threat. The US has made it clear that it supports its allies and partners against Chinese actions in various disputed regions.