Within a 24-hour period, China has sent 71 warplanes and drones along with 7 warships close to Taiwan, crossing the median of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial boundary once tacitly accepted by both sides. People’s Liberation Army (PLA) spokesman Shi Yi said, “This is a firm response to the current U.S.-Taiwan escalation and provocation.” Shi may have been referring to a U.S. defense spending bill which authorizes increased military cooperation with Taiwan. A member of the White House National Security Council said China’s military activity near Taiwan was “destabilizing, risks miscalculations, and undermines regional peace and stability.”
