TAIPEI — Taiwan on Sunday reported a fresh surge of Chinese military activity near the island, marking the end of an unexplained 10-day lull that had briefly reduced tensions in the sensitive Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it detected 26 Chinese military aircraft operating near Taiwan within the past 24 hours. According to the ministry, 16 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ)—areas Taipei considers part of its defensive perimeter.
The ministry also reported the presence of seven Chinese naval vessels operating in waters around the island during the same period.
The renewed operations have raised fresh questions about Beijing’s intentions, as the pause in activity over the previous 10 days had fueled speculation among analysts and officials.
China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has repeatedly stated it does not rule out the use of force to bring the self-governed democratic island under its control.
Since late 2020, Chinese military incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ have shifted from occasional flights to what Taiwanese officials describe as “gray-zone” pressure tactics—persistent operations designed to assert Beijing’s claims while avoiding open conflict.
Though some incidents escalate into larger military drills, the frequent sorties have increasingly become routine.
Military analysts say the sustained flights are part of Beijing’s broader strategy to normalize crossings of the Taiwan Strait’s median line, effectively eroding what had long served as an informal boundary between the two sides.
Chinese authorities have not publicly explained the recent pause in flights or the sudden resumption. However, several theories have emerged among officials and analysts in Taipei and Washington.
Taiwan’s Defense Minister, Wellington Koo, cautioned against interpreting the temporary lull as a sign of reduced pressure.
“We cannot rely on a single indicator like the absence of aircraft,” Koo said, noting that Chinese naval vessels have continued to operate near Taiwan during the period. “They still surround us daily,” he added, stressing that Taiwan’s military remains vigilant.
Some analysts have linked the timing of the pause to preparations for a high-level summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, while others suggest Beijing may have sought to shape Washington’s perception of the threat environment or adjust its military training operations.
