After the Chinese armed forces paused their activities during the start of the Iranian War, their ambitions with Taiwan seem to have returned.
Taiwan reported a new increase in Chinese military activity around the island after an unusually long pause in flights of Chinese military aircraft that had baffled analysts and policymakers in Taipei. The Taiwanese Defense Ministry said that in the past 24 hours, 26 People's Liberation Army aircraft were detected operating near the island, many of them in the Taiwan Strait
.
According to the official report, 16 of these aircraft entered Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in different sectors, including the north, center and southwest. In addition, the Taiwanese government indicated that seven Chinese warships were operating in waters close to the island, demonstrating that Beijing's military pressure continues both in the air and at
sea.
The uptick in air activity comes after a surprising pause that began on February 27, when Taiwan stopped recording significant incursions by Chinese aircraft for nearly two weeks. Since the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense began publishing daily data on Chinese military activities in 2020, the number of flights had shown a steady upward trend. For this reason, the sudden silence in the sky around the island was striking for regional security experts
. Chinese military activity around Taiwan had shown an unusual decline during the start of the Iran War.
During that period, Taiwan recorded 13 consecutive days without Chinese military flights near the island, with a single exception on March 6, when two aircraft were detected at the southwestern end of the Taiwanese air defense zone. However, overall activity was still remarkably low compared to usual levels, where dozens of Chinese aircraft are reported some days
.
The return of flights rekindled concerns in Taipei about the Chinese government's strategy of pressure against the island. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory, despite the fact that the island's government is democratic and functions independently. The Taiwanese authorities firmly reject China's sovereignty claims and defend the right of its people to decide their own
political future.
Tension also intensified following critical statements by the Chinese government against Taiwanese President Lai Ching‑te. The Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing reacted harshly to a speech in which the president defended increasing defense spending and protecting the island's democratic system. In a statement, a spokesman warned that leaders like Lai “should not miscalculate” the situation and issued threats about the consequences of any decision that Beijing deems challenging
.
These statements have been interpreted as yet another example of the aggressive language that China uses to politically intimidate Taiwan. In recent years, the Chinese government has steadily increased military pressure on the island through combat aircraft, drones and naval patrols flying close to its territory. Many experts believe that these maneuvers seek to normalize the Chinese military presence in the region and wear down the Taiwanese armed forces through constant pressure
. The president of Taiwan defended Taipei's defensive actions and the increase in the military budget
Other experts pointed to internal factors, such as the annual political meetings known as the National People's Congress or even changes in Chinese military training. The possibility that recent purges of senior military commanders within the Chinese military have temporarily affected operations planning was also mentioned
.
Despite the air pause, Taiwan's Defense Minister, Wellington Koo, warned that the Chinese threat never went away. As he explained, Chinese warships continued to operate close to the island throughout the period, demonstrating that strategic pressure from Beijing remains constant
.
In this context, the Taiwanese government insists that it will continue to closely monitor Chinese military activities and reinforce its defensive capabilities. The island's authorities have also stressed the importance of international support to preserve regional stability and protect Taiwan's democratic system in the face of increasing pressure from Beijing
. Some sectors argue that the potential meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping could have contributed to the decline in the Chinese military presence in Taiwan.
