Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported Thursday that it detected 29 Chinese fighter jets and drones operating near the island, marking a new surge in Beijing’s military activity.

These maneuvers coincided with the first passage of a Japanese warship through the Taiwan Strait, an effort to assert its right to freedom of navigation in the region. 

Taiwanese authorities said the operations included live-fire exercises and pose a direct threat to political stability in Asia. Taiwan, a democratic territory considered by China as its own, has rejected Beijing’s sovereignty claims, while Chinese military incursions around the island have steadily increased over the past five years. 

According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, Thursday marked the second consecutive day of large-scale Chinese air patrols, involving 29 aircraft operating alongside Chinese warships.

The previous day, 43 Chinese military planes were observed, 23 of them flying south through the Bashi Channel separating Taiwan from the Philippines before moving along the island’s eastern coast, without entering Taiwan’s territorial airspace. 

China’s response

At the same time, China conducted live-fire drills in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, near the Korean Peninsula and Japan, while a senior Chinese military commander visited Hawaii for meetings with the U.S. military.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said the maneuvers aim to strengthen China’s military presence while projecting the appearance of dialogue, demonstrating Beijing’s authoritarian influence in the region and the challenge it poses to neighboring countries in Asia. 

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the exercises are part of the People’s Liberation Army’s annual training.

They include simulated attacks in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, air dominance training off Taiwan’s southwestern coast, and in-flight refueling exercises around the Bashi Channel, preparing to block foreign assistance in the event of a conflict. 

So far, China’s Ministry of Defense has not commented on the recent maneuvers. The developments highlight growing regional tensions and keep the international community on alert for potential escalations in Asia.