Days earlier, Taiwan publicly admitted that Chinese jets are regularly buzzing its air border, in response to Taipei’s latest tilt toward independence. “When we see a plane take off over there,” says a Taiwanese Air Force major, “we take off, too.” The air force says its vintage F-5s, along with 60 new Mirage-2000-5s, are enough to counter China. While earlier crashes fell into the sea and could not be recovered, this one came down on land and may clear up the mystery of what’s bringing down the F-16s. In the meantime, “We don’t need to risk the safety of our pilots to maintain our national security,” says the major. “Not unless we get into a real war.”
Not likely. The grounding should silence Beijing propaganda that Taiwan is preparing an air assault on the mainland. But anxiety is still high. “Just imagine,” wrote Taiwan’s China Times. “If this had happened over the strait? Everyone would think our aircraft had been shot down, and the next thing you know, we’d be in the midst of a true aerial conflict.”
