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Beijing Tries to Direct Shipping Through the Taiwan Strait During Typhoon

Chinese maritime authorities attempted to impose traffic-control measures on ships moving through the Taiwan Strait as Typhoon Dolphin approached. Taiwan rejected the order, saying Beijing had no authority to restrict navigation through the strait and advising vessels to ignore Chinese broadcasts. Taipei described the move as another attempt to extend Chinese administrative control over waters surrounding Taiwan. Source: (Full article...)

Live-Fire Exercises Return to the Strait Near Taiwan

China announced two days of live-fire military exercises near Dongshan Island in July 2026. Taiwan condemned the drills as military provocation and part of Beijing's continuing gray-zone pressure. The exercises came during a period of heightened Chinese naval activity that Taiwan monitors for signs that routine training could conceal preparations for a larger operation. Source: (Full article...)

Naval Movements Rise During China's Peak Exercise Season

Taiwanese security officials reported an upward trend in Chinese naval movements in July 2026, including activity associated with China's military exercise season and joint operations with Russia. Taipei said it was closely studying new tactics because Beijing's increasingly frequent deployments make it harder to distinguish normal exercises from preparations for coercive action. Source: (Full article...)

Daily Military Pressure Becomes Beijing's New Normal Around the Island

China's defence ministry defended the almost daily operation of Chinese warplanes and warships around Taiwan as justified and reasonable. Taiwan says the persistent deployments are coercive and force its military to continuously scramble aircraft, deploy ships and monitor approaching forces, consuming personnel and resources even when no formal exercise has been announced. Source: (Full article...)

Cyberattacks Against Critical Infrastructure Reach 2.6 Million a Day

Taiwan's National Security Bureau reported that Chinese cyberattacks against the island's critical infrastructure averaged about 2.6 million attempts per day during 2025. Targets included energy, telecommunications, transportation and other essential systems. Taipei said the activity demonstrated how cyber operations had become a major part of Beijing's pressure campaign below the threshold of conventional warfare. Source: (Full article...)

'Justice Mission 2025' Encircles Taiwan With China's Largest War Games Yet

China staged its largest military exercises around Taiwan to date in December 2025, deploying warships and aircraft while firing rockets into waters north and south of the island. The drills practiced blockade, anti-submarine and strike operations and explicitly warned against foreign intervention. Taiwan placed its forces on high alert and condemned the exercise as military intimidation. Source: (Full article...)

Police Offer Cash Bounties for Taiwanese Psychological-Warfare Officers

Chinese police published photographs, names and identity information for 18 members of a Taiwanese military psychological-operations unit and offered cash rewards for information leading to their arrest. Beijing accused them of separatist activity. Taiwan condemned the notices as authoritarian intimidation and cognitive warfare, noting that Chinese law has no jurisdiction on the island. Source: (Full article...)

Generative AI Becomes a Tool for Political Manipulation

Taiwan's National Security Bureau said China was increasingly using generative artificial intelligence to produce and spread misleading political content designed to divide Taiwanese society. Authorities detected more than half a million controversial messages early in 2025 and said campaigns intensified around sensitive political speeches and major economic announcements. Source: (Full article...)

Strait Thunder Rehearses Strikes on Ports and Energy Facilities

China's Strait Thunder-2025A exercise included long-range live-fire training and simulated precision attacks on key ports and energy facilities. Taiwan reported dozens of Chinese aircraft and numerous warships operating around the island, while Chinese coast guard vessels also participated. Taipei said the drills threatened regional stability and demonstrated potential blockade and infrastructure-attack tactics. Source: (Full article...)

Espionage Cases Expose an Effort to Penetrate Taiwan From Within

President Lai Ching-te said Chinese influence and infiltration operations were targeting Taiwan's military, police, media personalities and organized-crime groups. Taiwanese authorities charged 64 people with Chinese espionage-related offenses during 2024, according to government figures, prompting Lai to announce 17 countermeasures against what he described as efforts to absorb and subvert Taiwanese society. Source: (Full article...)

Chinese-Linked Cargo Ship Suspected After Undersea Cable Damage

Taiwan increased surveillance of ships using flags of convenience after a cargo vessel linked to Chinese ownership was suspected of damaging an undersea communications cable north of Taiwan. Authorities said they could not establish the vessel's intent, and its owner denied responsibility, but the incident heightened concern about vulnerable cables amid Beijing's broader gray-zone campaign. Source: (Full article...)

Government Networks Face 2.4 Million Chinese Cyberattacks Every Day

Cyberattacks against Taiwanese government departments doubled during 2024 to an average of about 2.4 million attempts per day, according to Taiwan's National Security Bureau. Taipei attributed most of the activity to Chinese cyber forces and said attacks often coincided with military exercises and political events. Source: (Full article...)

Balloons Return to Waters North of Taiwan

Taiwan detected another Chinese balloon north of the island in November 2024 after several months without reported sightings. Taipei considers repeated balloon operations part of China's gray-zone pressure campaign, particularly after an unprecedented number appeared around the 2024 presidential election. Beijing has said the balloons are meteorological rather than military. Source: (Full article...)

Joint Sword-2024B Raises the Level of Military Pressure

China launched Joint Sword-2024B around Taiwan in October 2024, deploying military forces in the strait and areas north, south and east of the island. Beijing explicitly described the operation as increased pressure against Taiwan independence and warned that further exercises could follow. Taiwan and the United States condemned the maneuvers as destabilizing. Source: (Full article...)

Pacific Forum Deletes Taiwan Reference After Beijing Objects

The Pacific Islands Forum removed language referring to Taiwan from its summit communiqué after an angry complaint from China's envoy. Taiwan condemned the intervention as unreasonable pressure. The episode demonstrated Beijing's diplomatic campaign to reduce Taiwan's international visibility even in organizations where Taipei has participated for decades as a development partner. Source: (Full article...)

Death Penalty Threatened for Taiwanese Beijing Labels 'Separatists'

Chinese authorities issued judicial guidelines allowing the death penalty in extreme cases for people Beijing describes as diehard Taiwan-independence separatists. The rules also permit trials in absentia. Taiwan told its citizens not to be intimidated and emphasized that courts in the People's Republic of China have no jurisdiction over Taiwan. Source: (Full article...)

Tariff Concessions Removed From 134 Taiwanese Products

Beijing suspended preferential tariffs on 134 Taiwanese imports under the cross-strait ECFA trade agreement. China accused Taiwan of maintaining discriminatory trade barriers, while Taipei characterized the action as economic and political pressure and called for negotiations without political preconditions. Source: (Full article...)

'Punishment' Drills Follow Lai Ching-te's Inauguration

Only three days after President Lai Ching-te took office, China launched Joint Sword-2024A and explicitly described the exercises as punishment for separatist acts. Warplanes, naval vessels and coast guard ships operated around Taiwan and its outlying islands while Chinese forces practiced joint combat-readiness patrols, precision strikes and operations intended to demonstrate an ability to isolate the island. Source: (Full article...)

Warplanes Cross the Strait's Former Buffer as a New President Takes Office

On the day President Lai Ching-te was inaugurated, Taiwan reported that Chinese military aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, once treated as an unofficial buffer between the two sides. At least one aircraft approached within about 43 nautical miles of Keelung while Lai publicly urged Beijing to end political and military intimidation. Source: (Full article...)

State Media Pushes Story That Taiwan's President Would Flee a War

An analysis conducted for Reuters traced hundreds of stories portraying Taiwan's military exercises as preparations for President Tsai Ing-wen and other leaders to flee if China attacked. Researchers found that major versions of the narrative originated in Chinese Communist Party-controlled or state-backed media. Taiwan called the campaign cognitive warfare intended to undermine public confidence. Source: (Full article...)

Balloons, Drones and Civilian Ships Used to Exhaust Taiwan's Defenses

Taiwan's defence ministry said Beijing had expanded gray-zone warfare by saturating areas around the island with balloons, drones and civilian vessels. Rather than beginning an open conflict, such tactics force Taiwan to repeatedly monitor and respond to ambiguous incursions, consuming resources and testing its military reactions. Source: (Full article...)

Tourist Boat Boarded Near Kinmen as Coast Guard Pressure Expands

Chinese coast guard officers boarded a Taiwanese sightseeing vessel carrying passengers near Kinmen and inspected its documentation. A Taiwanese minister said the incident caused panic. The following day Taiwan drove away another Chinese coast guard ship that entered waters near the Taiwan-controlled islands. Source: (Full article...)

Beijing Declares Its Coast Guard Patrols Around Kinmen 'Beyond Reproach'

China defended expanded coast guard patrols around Taiwan-controlled Kinmen after a series of confrontations near the islands. Beijing rejected Taiwan's objections and challenged long-standing restricted and prohibited waters around Kinmen, increasing pressure on Taipei's ability to enforce maritime rules close to the Chinese coast. Source: (Full article...)

Election-Era Economic Pressure Targets Taiwanese Chemical Exports

In the weeks before Taiwan's January 2024 presidential election, Beijing ended tariff concessions on selected Taiwanese chemical products and warned that additional trade measures could follow. Taipei accused China of economic coercion and election interference intended to influence voters before they chose a new president. Source: (Full article...)

Nauru's Diplomatic Switch Further Shrinks Taiwan's International Space

Nauru severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan and recognized Beijing immediately after Taiwan's January 2024 presidential election. The switch reduced the number of countries maintaining formal ties with Taipei and formed part of a longer Chinese campaign using diplomatic and development relationships to isolate Taiwan internationally. Source: (Full article...)

Beijing Warns That Peaceful 'Reunification' Prospects Are Being Eroded

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun warned that the prospect of peaceful unification was being eroded and blamed Taiwan's governing party and foreign support. Taiwan condemned the remarks as another threat of force, noting that Beijing continues to refuse to renounce military action while rejecting President Lai's offers for dialogue. Source: (Full article...)

Chinese Researchers Study Economic Warfare for a Taiwan Conflict

Chinese government-affiliated researchers studied ways Beijing could protect itself from Western sanctions during a conflict over Taiwan, including creating networks of sanctioned companies, increasing financial defenses and considering retaliation against foreign assets. The research showed that preparations surrounding Taiwan extend beyond military planning into economic warfare scenarios. Source: (Full article...)

Beijing's Diplomatic Campaign Pressures Taiwan's Remaining Pacific Partners

China's expanding diplomatic and development presence in the Pacific has steadily reduced Taiwan's formal allies and increased pressure on governments that continue recognizing Taipei. By 2024, Nauru, Solomon Islands and Kiribati had all switched recognition to Beijing, leaving Taiwan with only a small group of Pacific diplomatic partners. Source: (Full article...)

Military Pressure Becomes Almost Daily Rather Than Exceptional

By 2024, Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels were operating near Taiwan with such frequency that Taipei described the activity as a sustained campaign rather than a series of isolated crises. The operations included median-line crossings, combat patrols and mock attacks, gradually eroding geographical buffers that previously reduced the risk of confrontation. Source: (Full article...)

Threat of Force Remains at the Center of Beijing's Claim Over Taiwan

Throughout the three-year period, Chinese officials continued to state that Beijing reserves the option of using force to bring Taiwan under its control. Taiwan's government rejects the People's Republic of China's sovereignty claim and says the island's future can be decided only by its people, while the continuing threat has driven larger military and civil-defense preparations. Source: (Full article...)