Taipei has witnessed a dramatic escalation in Chinese military aircraft intrusions over the past five years, with incursions skyrocketing nearly 15 times higher. According to a detailed report from Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s Department of China Affairs, what began as sporadic flights in 2020 has evolved into a routine display of Beijing’s military might.
In 2020, Taiwan’s air defense identified just 380 Chinese military flights across the Taiwan Strait. By contrast, the numbers have exploded: 960 in 2021, 1,738 in 2022, 4,734 in 2023, 5,107 in 2024, and a staggering 5,709 in 2025 alone. This relentless uptick signals China’s intent to normalize aggressive patrols in what Taiwan views as its sovereign airspace.
The report paints the Taiwan Strait as Beijing’s testing ground for expansionist ambitions, aimed at eroding the status quo through calculated pressure. These ‘gray zone’ operations—short of outright war—seek to probe Taiwan’s defenses, strain its resources, and gradually shift security boundaries.
Major drills like ‘Strait Thunder-2025A’ in April and ‘Justice Mission 2025’ in December pushed Chinese forces perilously close to Taiwan’s 12-nautical-mile territorial limits. Such maneuvers, incorporating joint operations, blockades, and precision strikes, underscore a broader strategy threatening Indo-Pacific stability.
China’s activities extend beyond the strait, intensifying in the Diaoyutai Islands, Japan Sea, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea. The September 2025 ‘Victory Day Parade’ flaunted its military prowess, hinting at ambitions far exceeding Taiwan.
Compounding physical threats, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau exposed China’s ‘cognitive warfare’ campaign. In 2025, intelligence uncovered over 45,000 fake social media accounts spreading 2.314 million pieces of disinformation via IT and marketing firms like Haishunxhe, Haimai, and Huya.
These operations, directed by China’s Central Publicity Department and Ministry of Public Security, lure users with benign content before injecting pro-Beijing narratives to sow division, erode resistance, and sway public opinion. Taiwan is ramping up countermeasures with government agencies, fact-checkers, and platforms to combat this insidious influence.
As tensions mount, Taiwan braces for sustained pressure, calling on allies to recognize the regional peril posed by China’s multifaceted aggression.