TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — No Chinese military aircraft have entered Taiwan’s airspace for six consecutive days — a rare lull that experts say may indicate Beijing is recalibrating its pressure strategy.
Data from the Secure Taiwan Associate Corporation (STA) shows that China has dispatched 460 military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, or ADIZ, so far this year, a 46.5% drop compared with the same period last year, per Reuters. In February, Taiwan detected 190 Chinese military aircraft, the lowest monthly figure since the Ministry of National Defense began publishing daily data in 2022.
The report pointed out that Taiwan has long viewed these actions as part of Beijing’s pressure campaign to sharpen its ability to strike the country. Two Taiwanese senior security officials told Reuters that Chinese leader Xi Jinping may be dialing back visible pressure measures to shape a more favorable atmosphere for dialogue ahead of a planned meeting with US President Donald Trump at the end of the month.
A senior Taiwan security official told the news agency, “Beijing might be trying to create a false impression: I am peaceful, I am moving toward peace, so you should stop selling weapons to Taiwan.”
Since Feb. 27, China has not dispatched any aircraft near Taiwan, an “unprecedented six-day lull” that coincides with the outbreak of conflict in Iran, Tristan Tang (湯廣正), a researcher at STA, told Reuters.
Another explanation could be ongoing anti-corruption purges within the People's Liberation Army, which have led to “serious deficiencies in its command structure,” according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told Reuters the purge may be a key reason, as reforms to command structures could temporarily weaken overall combat readiness.
A Taiwanese defense official told Reuters that Beijing may be using the pause to assess lessons from recent large-scale exercises. However, the defense ministry says that Chinese naval and coast guard vessels remain active, indicating Beijing has only reduced politically sensitive aerial operations.
A senior Taiwanese official told Reuters that the current lull does not guarantee future calm and said Beijing could be preparing for a larger operation. The official added that a few days of reduced activity should not be taken as evidence of any change in Beijing’s intentions.
