Taiwan warned it would treat any Chinese incursion into the island’s airspace as a “first strike,” as Taipei seeks to deter Beijing from ratcheting up military pressure around the island.
Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told lawmakers in Taipei that the ministry was taking such incursions more seriously after a recent spate of closer flights by Chinese warplanes and drones. Pressed on whether any warplane’s violation of Taiwan’s airspace would be viewed as a first strike, Chiu said, “Yes,” without elaborating what the response would be.
