Tensions in the Taiwan Strait have intensified as Chinese military aircraft incursions have ballooned 15 times in five years, per a bombshell report from Taiwan’s DPP Department of China Affairs. This surge marks a calculated escalation from sporadic to systematic pressure.
Numbers don’t lie: from 380 sorties in 2020 to 960 in 2021, 1,738 in 2022, 4,734 in 2023, 5,107 in 2024, and 5,709 through 2025. Media reports emphasize the strait’s evolution into Beijing’s regular patrol zone, a far cry from its former tranquility.
Dubbed a launchpad for imperial aims, the strait hosts gray zone maneuvers designed to wear down Taiwan’s vigilance, deplete resources, and redraw lines on Beijing’s terms. Taiwan stands as the linchpin in this grand design.
Pivotal 2025 exercises like April’s ‘Strait Thunder-2025A’ and December’s ‘Justice Mission 2025’ flirted with Taiwan’s territorial seas and skies, practicing everything from encirclements to precision hits. Echoes resound in broader theaters—the Diaoyutais, Japan Sea, Yellow Sea, South China Sea—capped by the pomp of Victory Day.
Information dominance complements brute force. Taiwan’s spies revealed a cognitive blitz: 45,000 fake accounts via IT shells like Huya disseminated over 2.3 million lies, orchestrated from Beijing’s propaganda core.
Subtle at first with enticing bait, these outlets morph into mind-war machines, aiming to cleave society, blunt opposition, and flip loyalties. Taiwan fights back with a united front of officials, checkers, and social giants.
Facing this onslaught, Taiwan’s multi-domain defense strategy merits global backing to safeguard not just its shores, but Indo-Pacific equilibrium.