26 Chinese military aircraft detected near Taiwan after two-week lull

Taiwan reported a renewed surge in Chinese military activity near the island after an unusual lull of nearly two weeks that had puzzled analysts and defence officials.

Taiwan’s defence ministry said 26 Chinese military aircraft were detected around the island on Saturday, with 16 entering Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) in its central and southwestern sectors. The ministry also reported seven Chinese naval vessels operating nearby.

The increase followed an unexplained drop in Chinese aerial activity that began in late February. Taiwan recorded no Chinese warplanes entering its ADIZ for seven consecutive days between Feb 27 and March 5 , an unusually long pause since the island began regularly reporting such incursions in 2020.

Only a handful of flights were recorded over nearly two weeks, far fewer than the 92 aircraft detected during the same period a year earlier , according to monitoring data released by Taiwan’s defence ministry.

The lull coincided with China’s annual legislative meetings in Beijing , a period when military operations sometimes slow. However, analysts said the decline appeared more pronounced than in past years, suggesting other factors may have been involved.

Some observers believe Beijing may have sought to ease tensions with Washington ahead of a planned visit by Donald Trump to China from March 31 to April 2, though the trip has not been officially confirmed by Beijing.

Others say the slowdown could reflect a shift in China’s military training strategy. Analysts suggest the People’s Liberation Army may be testing new models of joint operations involving air, naval and ground forces , potentially conducting exercises away from Taiwan to avoid international monitoring.

There has also been speculation that internal developments within China’s military or lessons from recent large-scale drills may have contributed to the temporary pause in flights.

Despite the earlier lull, Taiwan said it had not changed its defence posture . Defence Minister Wellington Koo noted that Chinese naval forces remained active in surrounding waters even when aircraft activity declined. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has repeatedly vowed to bring the island under its control, by force if necessary.

The government of Taiwan, led by President Lai Ching-te, rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says it will continue strengthening its defence capabilities while monitoring Chinese military movements. China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949 , when the Communist Party took power in Beijing following the Chinese civil war. The defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan, which later transitioned from martial law to a multiparty democracy .