Taiwan tracks surge in Chinese warplanes and warships as Beijing ends drills

Taiwan has reported a sharp increase in Chinese military activity as Beijing concluded two days of war games around the island, intensifying tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Thursday that 59 Chinese warplanes and 23 navy ships had been detected operating near the island in the past 24 hours. The report comes as China announced the conclusion of its “Strait Thunder-2025A” military drills late Wednesday.

The exercises included live-fire components conducted to the north of Taiwan and were described by Beijing as a direct response to what it calls “provocations” from Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te — whom China labels a separatist.

Eighteen of the Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait — a formerly respected informal boundary that Beijing no longer acknowledges. The number of naval vessels was higher than the previous day, though fewer warplanes were recorded.

Taiwan’s defence ministry condemned the drills and referred to China as a “troublemaker” in the region.

The escalation has drawn concern from several major powers, including the United States, Japan, Britain, and the European Union, all of whom urged restraint and reaffirmed support for stability in the Taiwan Strait.

China has carried out multiple large-scale drills near Taiwan in the past year, part of a growing pressure campaign against the democratically ruled island, which Beijing considers part of its territory — a claim Taiwan firmly rejects.

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