Taiwan says its medical evacuation flight was ‘intimidated’ by Beijing’s warplanes
Incident in June may mark a new era of ‘aerial grey-zone harassment’, military source says
In a statement on Tuesday, officials condemned the manoeuvre as an “irrational” act that endangered lives, undermined humanitarian rescue operations and posed a serious threat to flight safety.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees cross-strait policy, said the incident was part of a new pattern of “aerial grey-zone harassment” designed to test Taiwan’s military responses.
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“Targeting even medical aircraft reflects not only a disregard for human life but also an open challenge to universal values,” the council said, demanding that Beijing immediately halt such provocations.
Taiwanese military officials said they believed the encounter was intended to show Beijing’s jurisdiction over the strait’s airspace and probe the island’s reaction.
“The incident may mark a new pattern of ‘aerial grey-zone harassment’, in which PLA aircraft exploit areas west of the median line where the military has little room to respond,” a military source said on condition of anonymity.