Following the news that the Chinese army sent fighter jets to monitor a US Navy patrol aircraft that was spotted flying over the Taiwan Strait;

Harshavardhan Dabbiru, Defence Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“The move reflects China’s assertive approach in claiming the territories that it believes to be an integral part of the country. Despite the presence of the US military, China sent its combat jets and naval vessels near the Taiwan Strait this week, a move that clearly challenges the US influence in the region. Furthermore, China has been holding frequent naval drills around Taiwan, which has fuelled tensions between the involved parties.

“After a change in leadership in 2013, China has considerably increased its focus on military modernisation and has been flexing its military prowess in the Taiwan Strait and the overall Indo-Pacific region in the last decade. In this regard, the country has been heavily investing in the acquisition of military platforms and sub-systems to meet its goal of implementing the One-China policy by annexing Taiwan.

“According to GlobalData estimates, China is likely to spend $71.1 billion on the procurement of military fixed-wing aircraft and $51.0 billion towards the acquisition of naval vessels in the next decade. This spending highlights China’s intentions for capability development and fleet structure that can counter the might of the US Navy, the main external protector of the Taiwanese islands.”