Fighter aircraft from the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conduct joint combat training exercises around the island of Taiwan. Archive | Photo credit: Xinhua News Agency via AP
Taiwan has seen an increase in Chinese military aircraft near the island, its Defense Ministry said on Sunday (March 15, 2026), after a sharp drop in flights over the past two weeks sparked discussions among observers.
The Ministry detected 26 Chinese military aircraft around the island on Saturday (March 14, 2026), with 16 of them entering its northern, central and southwestern Air Defense Identification Zone. Seven warships were sighted around the island, he reported.
The increase in the number of aircraft came after the ministry reported a drop that left analysts wondering what China’s military could be doing.
Taiwan did not report any Chinese military aircraft going beyond the median line and entering the area during a week from February 27 to March 5. After two were detected on March 6, the next four days there were none. These flights resumed in small numbers between Wednesday and Friday.
The fall coincided with the annual meeting of the Chinese legislature. While these flights have decreased in the past during major events and holidays, this year’s drop was more prominent than in the past.
Analysts said the meeting could not be the only reason behind the recent decline. Another potential factor could be a desire to calm the waters with Washington weeks before US President Donald Trump’s visit. The White House has said Trump would travel to China from March 31 to April 2, although Beijing has not officially confirmed this.
Some observers also suggested that the decline could be due to a shift to the next phase in China’s military training and modernization, where the military appears to be exploring a new model of joint training among its forces.
China has vowed to seize the island, by force if necessary. Over the years, Beijing has sent fighter jets and warships toward the island almost daily.
Taiwan’s military had previously signaled that it would not change its defensive posture due to the drop in Chinese fighter jet activity.
Defense Minister Wellington Koo previously noted that the Chinese navy has remained active in nearby waters even as military flights have slowed.
China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when the Communist Party came to power in Beijing after a civil war. The defeated forces of the Nationalist Party fled to Taiwan, which then moved from martial law to multiparty democracy.
Published – March 15, 2026 10:58 pm IST
