Overview
- Chinese state television said Eastern Theatre Command units ran combat-focused training that included J-10 fighters and multiple H-6K bombers near Taiwan to practice air blockades and precision strikes.
- Taiwan’s defense ministry rejected the portrayal as a public-opinion operation and reported tracking only four PLA aircraft in the past day, with no heavy-bomber formations or bomb-drop drills.
- State media published video showing practice bombs falling and quoted an officer describing Taiwan’s coastline, though the imagery quality was poor and the date of the drills was not provided.
- The disclosure was publicized just days ahead of the scheduled Xi–Trump meeting at the APEC summit in South Korea, adding diplomatic significance to the competing narratives.
- The H-6K is a long-range bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons, a point often cited by analysts when assessing the regional risk profile of such flights.