China has increased military flights near Taiwan by 300%, U.S. general says
Nov. 8, 2024, 12:42 PM EST
By Courtney Kube and Mosheh Gains
The Chinese military has increased its provocative flights around Taiwan by 300% over the last five months, according to the commander of the U.S. Air Forces in the Indo-Pacific Command.
In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Gen. Kevin Schneider warned that People’s Liberation Air Force activities have increased dramatically since Taiwan’s new president was inaugurated in May.
“Whether it’s coming into the air defense identification zone or crossing the center line within the Taiwan Strait, since the inauguration we have seen a 300% increase in those air activities,” he said.
From May 2023 until November 2023, China violated Taiwan’s air defense identification zone 335 times, according to figures released by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense compiled by NBC News. During that same timeframe this year, China violated that same airspace at least 1,085 times, more than three times as many as the previous year.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/china-increased-military-flights-taiwan-300-us-general-says-rcna179184
