Former US Defense Department official says flight over Taiwan signals two countries not intimidated by China

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/06/18
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A former U.S. defense official told VOA that last week's flight by a U.S. Navy aircraft showed the U.S. does not consider Taiwan to be part of Chinese territory.

On June 9, a U.S. Navy Boeing C-40a Clipper was detected flying over northern and western Taiwan by aircraft spotting sites. The flight was unusual because it was the first time a U.S. military aircraft had been spotted over Taiwan since two Marine F-18s landed at Tainan Air Force Base for repairs in 2015.

In an interview with VOA, the former U.S. Defense Department official responsible for China affairs, Joseph Bosco, said the U.S. has long considered Taiwan to be one of its "strategic and security partners." He said the fact that an American military aircraft had flown directly over Taiwan sends a clear signal the two countries have a close relationship and that neither will be intimidated by China's military provocations.

On Monday (June 15), Ministry of National Defense Spokesman Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang condemned the U.S. for not first "obtaining permission from China before flying over its territory," according to China Daily. Ren then described the incident as "extremely erroneous and dangerous."    [FULL  STORY]