Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) reported a significant spike in Chinese military presence around the island early Sunday, as tensions continue to escalate over Beijing’s long-standing threats to annex the self-ruled territory. The ministry said it detected 11 Chinese military aircraft, seven naval vessels, and one official Chinese ship operating near Taiwan until 6 a.m.
According to the statement, nine of the 11 Chinese aircraft sorties crossed the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s southwestern and eastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). In response, Taiwan’s armed forces mobilized aircraft, deployed naval ships, and activated coastal missile systems to monitor the situation and safeguard its sovereignty.
This comes a day after 34 Chinese aircraft and eight naval vessels were detected operating near the island, with 25 aircraft breaching the ADIZ from multiple directions. Taiwan’s military remains on high alert as it continues the 10-day Han Kuang exercises—its most extensive war games yet—to showcase national resolve against any potential invasion attempt by China.
On July 12, as part of these drills, Taiwan deployed the U.S.-supplied HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems), with two armored trucks carrying the precision-strike weapons seen maneuvering around Taichung city along the central coast. These systems form a critical part of Taiwan’s defense strategy, offering long-range, mobile firepower capable of deterring or delaying a Chinese amphibious assault.
China continues to claim Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to seize it. Chinese military encirclement operations are viewed by Taipei as part of a broader campaign of psychological warfare, aimed at exhausting the island’s defense resources and morale.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has repeatedly warned that the threat from China is long-term and structural. Speaking at the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) national congress on June 28, Lai accused Beijing of employing both “influence warfare” and military intimidation under its strategy for the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” He emphasized the DPP’s commitment to defending Taiwan’s democracy and sovereignty in the face of mounting pressure.
With 23 million citizens, a vibrant civil society, and an increasingly advanced defense arsenal, Taiwan continues to project resilience amid rising regional instability. Officials say such military readiness drills and political unity are essential to confronting future threats from China’s expanding hegemony in the western Pacific.
