Taiwan scrambles its fighter jets as Chinese war planes conduct simulated attack, officials say
Business InsiderOct 12, 2022
The Facts
On Thurs., China fired multiple missiles towards the sea near northeastern and southwestern Taiwan, according to the island's Defense Ministry. The news comes as the Chinese military's Eastern Theatre Command stated it had conducted long-range, live-fire training in the Taiwan Strait.
This comes a day after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left the island, wrapping up the first visit of a sitting speaker to Taiwan in 25 years.
The Spin
Anti-China narrative
As a global champion of democracy and human rights, it's only right that the US should support Taiwan and its democratic government. This response to Pelosi's visit to the island is an outlandish escalation on China's part.
Pro-China narrative
Pelosi's visit to Taiwan was an intentional provocation that has raised tensions across the Strait as well as in Southeast Asia. The US is clearly conspiring to violate China's sovereignty under the pretense of "democracy," and has forced China to respond with a show of strength.
Narrative C
While China's military escalation is concerning, neither the US nor Beijing have the appetite to escalate to war. This expected response is intended to be a show of potential strength rather than lead to a declaration of war.