In a recent visit to air force headquarters in Taipei Lai Ching-te‚ Taiwanʼs President‚ expressed gratitude to the military personnel for their efforts during Chinese exercises that took place about two days ago. He communicated with a pilot using the call sign “Viper One“ via radio‚ saying “Thank you for your hard work for our country Please continue to guard the airspace of the Taiwan Strait to ensure national security‚ and have a safe and smooth flight“. The president then added in English “happy landing“
Lai praised the air forceʼs performance‚ stating‚ “We were all on full alert during these Chinese exercises and did our best The performance was outstanding Thank you very much and please keep up the good work in our duty to protect and defend our country“. This acknowledgment comes in response to Chinaʼs military activities which they described as a warning against “separatist acts“
The Chinese military conducted war games on 16/10/2024‚ vowing to take further action against Taiwan if needed. Taiwanʼs air force which is smaller than Chinaʼs has been regularly scrambling to intercept almost-daily missions by Chinese military aircraft around the island. During the recent exercises‚ Taiwan detected 153 Chinese aircraft – the highest number recorded for a single day
Taiwanʼs government‚ led by Lai Ching-te‚ rejects Beijingʼs claims of sovereignty over the island. Despite Laiʼs repeated offers for talks China has consistently rebuffed these attempts. The situation highlights the ongoing tensions between Taiwan and China‚ with the islandʼs air force playing a crucial role in maintaining its defense