China's PLA Conducts 40 Incursions of Taiwan with Warplanes, Ships, Says Defense Ministry

The Ministry of National Defense reported that from 6 am on July 24 to 6 am on July 25, a total of 29 Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft were detected operating in the surrounding area of the Taiwan Strait, with 17 instances crossing the median line and entering Taiwan's northern, central, and southwestern airspaces. At the same time, 6 naval vessels and 5 official ships were deployed, totaling 40 instances. The military kept a close watch and responded accordingly throughout the period.

The previous day, the Ministry of National Defense also reported that from 4 pm on July 24, a total of 19 PLA main and auxiliary combat aircraft were detected departing from their bases, with 12 instances crossing the median line and its extension, in conjunction with naval vessels under the guise of a "joint defense warning patrol" in Taiwan's surrounding air and sea areas.

The "median line" of the Taiwan Strait refers to a military demarcation line that has been a tacit understanding between the two sides in the Taiwan Strait for a long time. In recent years, Chinese aircraft have frequently crossed the median line, being viewed as a unilateral move to alter the status quo and compress Taiwan's defense depth. This type of combined military pressure, using aircraft, naval vessels, and official ships, but short of escalating into a direct confrontation, is often classified as "gray zone" pressure, intended to consume the military's war readiness, test the response, and exert psychological pressure on Taiwanese society.

In the face of routine military activities, the military is closely monitoring using task aircraft, ships, and land-based missile systems. For Taiwanese civilians, understanding the frequency and scale of these reports provides an important reference for grasping the security situation in the Taiwan Strait.