China considers Taiwan democratically governed as its own territory. (Archive photo)
Beijing:
China on Thursday condemned the US military for the “provocative” flight of one of its planes over Taiwan, saying the move violated Chinese sovereignty and violated international law.
China considers that Taiwan has democratically governed its own territory and one of its most sensitive diplomatic questions, regularly denouncing the United States for its support for the island.
An American C-40A, a military version of the Boeing 737, entered Taiwan airspace with permission, although it did not land at any Taiwan airport, the Taiwan Defense Department said on Tuesday .
The Chinese Affairs Bureau in Taiwan said that the US aircraft “violated our sovereignty, security and development rights, and violated international law and basic standards of international relations.”
“It was an illegal act and a seriously provocative incident,” the office said in a statement released by state media.
“We express strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition.”
The U.S. Seventh Fleet said the U.S. Navy plane was on a routine logistics flight from Kadena Air Force Base in Japan to Thailand, but had been rerouted by Taiwan to avoid “an exercise on its east coast”. “The C-40 took a route authorized by Taiwan air traffic controllers that crossed their airspace and flew over the island and was never in the Taiwan Strait,” he said in a statement.
“There was no interaction or interception with any aircraft during the flight.” Taiwan is entirely governed separately from China and controls its own airspace. The same day that the American plane flew over the island, the Taiwan Air Force had to warn several Chinese fighter jets that briefly entered the Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone.
Taiwan has repeatedly complained about Chinese exercises near the island.
The United States has also stepped up military activities near the island, with semi-regular trips by the U.S. Navy across the narrow strait of Taiwan that separates the island from China. While Washington and Taipei have no official diplomatic ties, the United States is Taiwan’s largest international supporter and the main supplier of arms.
