The fiscal 2023 budget that U.S. Congress approved last Friday did not go down well in the Communist Party of China (CPC). The U.S. allocated $10 billion in military assistance to Taiwan over the next five years. In response, China sent 71 combat aircraft and seven ships of the People's Liberation Army to surround the island.
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense claimed that the invasion occurred at 6:00 (local time) and reported its own deployment to counter the aerial invasion:
The Republic of China Armed Forces have been monitoring the situation and have assigned aircraft, Navy ships and land-based missile systems to respond to these activities.
71 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected in our surrounding region by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities. pic.twitter.com/DagRhnN69F
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) December 26, 2022
Beijing's justification
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China justified the move by saying that the budget signed by Joe Biden will be "blatantly interfering in China's internal affairs and attacks and discredits the Communist Party of China." The ministry further asserted that the law "sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces."
A spokesman pointed out that the White House's attitude disrupts the one-China principle and warned that Beijing will take "vigorous measures" in favor of its sovereign interests:
The United States should stop trying to use Taiwan to contain China, stop misrepresenting, distorting and hollowing out the one China principle, and stop moving further down the wrong and dangerous path.
Increasingly strained relations
The Omnibus Bill passed by U.S. Congress provides for $1.7 trillion in total spending. Of this amount, some $858 billion is allocated for national defense, while $10 billion will go to support Taiwan.
This move further heats up the relationship between Washington and Beijing, which in 2022 only deteriorated, especially with Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei on August 2, making her the highest-ranking U.S. official to travel to the island in the last 25 years.
