Overview
- Taiwan reported 130 Chinese aircraft, 14 military ships and eight other official vessels around the island in 24 hours, with 90 aircraft crossing the strait’s median line and a Chinese balloon detected.
- Long-range artillery from China’s Fujian province conducted live-fire toward a target zone north of Taiwan as destroyers, frigates, fighters and bombers practiced sea–air coordination and blockade tactics.
- Authorities were notified of seven temporary danger zones that disrupted air routes, with Taiwan estimating the impact on more than 100,000 passengers and rerouting flights to maintain safety.
- The drills included simulated blockades of key ports such as Keelung and Kaohsiung, which Taipei condemned as provocative and destabilizing to regional shipping, trade and flight routes.
- Taiwan activated a response center and deployed aircraft, navy ships and coastal missile systems, while Beijing framed the drills as a deterrent to independence and external interference after the $11.1 billion U.S. arms sale.