Taipei: Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) reported a significant increase in Chinese military activity around the island on Tuesday, citing the detection of 31 Chinese military aircraft—30 of which crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line—alongside seven warships and one official vessel operating near its airspace and waters.
The aircraft intrusions were concentrated in Taiwan’s northern and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), continuing a pattern of assertive military maneuvers by Beijing.
“Up until 6 am (UTC+8) today, 31 sorties of PLA (People’s Liberation Army) aircraft, 7 PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy) vessels, and 1 government ship were detected operating around Taiwan.
Thirty aircraft crossed the median line and entered our northern and southwestern ADIZ,” the MND announced on the social media platform X.
In response, Taiwan deployed its own surveillance assets, including aircraft, naval vessels, and land-based missile systems, to closely monitor and track the incursions.
In a separate development, the MND confirmed that China conducted a satellite launch early Tuesday morning from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province.
The launch trajectory passed over central Taiwan en route to the western Pacific, though the defence ministry clarified that the altitude of the launch—being beyond the Earth’s atmosphere—did not pose a direct threat.
“At 02:09 (UTC+8), China launched satellites from XSLC with a flight path over central Taiwan toward the Western Pacific.
The altitude was beyond the atmosphere, posing no immediate threat. Our armed forces monitored the launch and remain on alert,” the ministry added.
Tensions between Taipei and Beijing remain high. Just last month, Taiwan condemned China’s large-scale military drill, which involved 19 navy vessels operating near the island.
Taiwan labelled the maneuvers a provocation that undermines regional stability.
President Lai Ching-te has repeatedly warned of escalating threats, describing China as a “foreign hostile force” and calling for stronger national security measures amid rising concerns over espionage and pressure tactics from the mainland.
Beijing maintains that Taiwan is a breakaway province that must be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.
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In contrast, Taiwan insists on its sovereignty and democratic governance.
The situation continues to draw international scrutiny.
The United States and its allies regularly conduct freedom of navigation operations through the Taiwan Strait, asserting its status as international waters and pushing back against China’s growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
