Report: Chinese Military Flights Near Taiwan Surge 15-Fold in Five Years
Chinese military flights near Taiwan surged nearly 15-fold over five years, reflecting Beijing’s growing pressure on the island, according to a new report from Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Department of China Affairs.
The report tracked 5,709 sorties by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in 2025, up from just 380 in 2020.
The data reflect flights operating in and around the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, an area Taiwan monitors but which does not constitute sovereign airspace under international law.
PLA aircraft activity, once described as sporadic, has become routine, the report said. Sorties rose steadily: 380 in 2020, 960 in 2021, 1,738 in 2022, 4,734 in 2023, 5,107 in 2024, and 5,709 in 2025.
Gray Zone Activities
The DPP said the rise reflects what it described as “gray zone” activities — operations conducted below the threshold of armed conflict — aimed at testing responses, maintaining pressure, and normalizing a sustained military presence near Taiwan.
Taiwanese defense officials have previously said such operations place strain on personnel and resources, even without direct confrontation.
The report also referenced several large-scale PLA exercises held in 2025, including drills involving joint air and naval operations, blockade scenarios, and simulated precision strikes.
Some exercise areas approached Taiwan’s 12-nautical-mile territorial sea and airspace baselines, it said, though China has not acknowledged entering Taiwan’s territorial airspace.
Regional Activity, International Responses
Beyond the Taiwan Strait, the report noted increased Chinese military and paramilitary activity in other contested or sensitive areas, including the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea, and the South China Sea.
Analysts have previously linked these operations to Beijing’s broader efforts to assert its maritime and regional claims.
US defense planning documents now describe China as preparing for a wider range of military contingencies, while Japan, Australia, the Philippines, the EU, and G7 countries have expressed concern about attempts to change regional conditions through coercive or non-transparent means.
Beijing has consistently defended its actions as lawful and necessary for safeguarding national sovereignty and security, criticizing what it calls foreign interference in internal affairs.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve unification.
