Taipei, Taiwan — December 26, 2025
China escalated pressure on Taiwan for the second consecutive day as fighter jets, naval vessels, and surveillance balloons entered areas near the island, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said Friday.
In a statement shared on social media, Taiwan’s defense ministry said that by 6 a.m. local time, it had detected two patrols of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, six Chinese naval vessels, and two Chinese balloons operating around Taiwan. Taiwanese forces monitored the situation closely and took appropriate response measures.
The incident follows a similar intrusion on Thursday, when Taiwan reported six PLA aircraft patrols and eight Chinese naval ships near its territory, underscoring rising military activity in the Taiwan Strait.
Chinese Aircraft Cross Median Line
According to Taiwan’s defense ministry, Chinese fighter jets crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line twice, entering Taiwan’s northern and southwestern Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ). Such actions are viewed by Taipei as provocative, as the median line has long served as an informal buffer between the two sides.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) accused Beijing of engaging in international repression and political manipulation, following claims by a Chinese public security agency that Taiwanese citizens were involved in smuggling operations in China.
Undersea Cable Damage Case
Tensions were further fueled by an earlier legal case involving maritime infrastructure. In June, a Taiwanese court sentenced the Chinese captain of the Togo-registered vessel Hong Tai 58 to three years in prison for deliberately damaging undersea communication cables near Taiwan in February.
China has rejected Taiwan’s accusations, dismissing them as politically motivated and denying any wrongdoing related to undersea cable damage.
The latest incursions add to growing concerns among regional allies as cross-strait tensions remain one of the most sensitive flashpoints in East Asia.
