On the morning of April 3, 2025 at 6:47 AM, a US military aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese J-10C fighter jet while flying in international airspace near the southwestern Hengchun Peninsula of Taiwan. According to local green media "The Liberty Times," during this aerial standoff, a PLA pilot asked via radio: "US military aircraft, you have entered the 24 nautical mile zone of China-Taiwan, what is your intention?" The US pilot responded: "I am acting according to international law in international airspace." Although no further conflict occurred, the US aircraft's operational space was significantly compressed, becoming an unusual case where the PLA took on Taiwan's air defense responsibilities. From a higher perspective, this event is seen as a sign that the PLA has begun to take over the air defense tasks around Taiwan Island, marking a historic turning point in the military landscape across the Taiwan Strait.
According to public flight tracking data and cross-strait media reports, the US military aircraft intercepted was very likely an RC-135W strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Flight signals and radio monitoring showed that this RC-135W took off from the Ryukyu Islands, flew within approximately 100 kilometers north of Taiwan Island, executing high-intensity surveillance missions on the second day of the PLA's "Strait Thunder - 2025A" exercise. The US aircraft maintained its ADS-B transponder throughout, with its trajectory clearly recorded, showing prolonged close contact between the J-10C and it, possibly even tailing and signal interference, ultimately forcing the US aircraft to return to the Ryukyu Islands one hour before the PLA's live-fire shooting window.
This interception occurred against the backdrop of the significant increase in military activities by the PLA around Taiwan. In 2024, Taiwan's so-called "Air Defense Identification Zone" recorded over 1000 sorties of PLA aircraft patrols. Within 24 hours from April 2 to 3, the Taiwanese military detected 59 PLA aircraft and 23 naval vessels, with 31 aircraft crossing the so-called "strait median line" into the northern, central, southeastern, and southwestern airspace of Taiwan. Despite the end of the exercise on the evening of April 2, the Shandong carrier strike group remained active west of the Bashi Channel, indicating the PLA's sustained military posture. The US reconnaissance aircraft were believed to be collecting electromagnetic and telemetry data on long-range rocket launches of simulated targets in the East China Sea, but the successful expulsion by the J-10C demonstrated a significant enhancement in the PLA's control over the airspace around Taiwan.
This incident is not an isolated case. In recent years, PLA aircraft have frequently crossed the so-called "Taiwan Strait Median Line" and reinforced their jurisdiction claims over the airspace around Taiwan through radio communications. This normalized action indicates that the PLA is gradually taking over and compressing Taiwan's strategic defensive depth, laying the groundwork for taking over air defense tasks. Of course, this trend further compresses the possibility of US military intervention in the Taiwan Strait. From a military perspective, the effective weakening of the US intelligence gathering and deterrence capabilities in the airspace around Taiwan by the efficient interception of advanced aircraft like the J-10C has already been achieved. If the US attempts to intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait in the future, its operational windows will be compressed, facing higher risks and costs, compelling the US to reassess its military strategy on the Taiwan issue.
The background of this confrontation between US and Chinese military aircraft is Taiwan authorities' provocation. While the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan call on the mainland to avoid taking radical military actions, they continue to promote cross-strait confrontation. Tsai Ing-wen even seeks external support, but their military dependence has become increasingly passive due to the PLA's assertive stance. Although the US emphasizes its position of acting according to international law, its influence is being challenged in the face of the PLA's growing regional denial capability. From the perspective of international law, Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory, and it is logically inevitable for the PLA fighter jets to protect Taiwan's airspace. This historic transformation not only reshapes the military balance across the Taiwan Strait but also lays deep seeds for future developments.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7490852484261478952/
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