TAIPEI, Taiwan: Taiwan’s defence ministry reported the detection of 29 additional Chinese fighter jets and drones around the island on Thursday, following an earlier 24-hour period that saw 43 military aircraft and eight naval vessels.
The surge in Chinese military activity comes amid escalating tensions, with China regularly sending warplanes, drones, and naval ships near Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory.
The latest increase follows reports of a Japanese warship sailing through the Taiwan Strait for the first time to assert freedom of navigation.
Taiwan’s defence ministry noted that 21 of the detected Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, entering Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ). The Chinese forces conducted joint combat readiness patrols alongside naval vessels.
Experts describe these frequent maneuvers as “grey-zone harassment,” a tactic designed to keep Taiwan’s military on constant alert without triggering outright conflict. This pressure, which aims to exhaust Taiwan’s defence forces, has intensified in recent years, with July 11 marking a record 66 Chinese military aircraft detected in a single day.
China has consistently stated that it would not rule out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, further increasing military pressure on the democratic island.
