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Taiwan Reports New Chinese Ships and Balloon as Military Pressure Persists

The sightings extend a post‑drill surge in Chinese operations that has drawn international calls for restraint.

Overview

  • Taiwan’s defense ministry said it detected five PLA Navy vessels, one official ship and one PRC balloon by 6 a.m. local time on Sunday and responded accordingly.
  • A day earlier, Taiwan reported four PLA aircraft sorties with one crossing the Taiwan Strait’s median line into the island’s central air defense identification zone.
  • The recent activity follows late‑December live‑fire drills labeled Justice Mission‑2025, when Taiwan recorded 27 rockets launched, including 10 landing within its 24‑nautical‑mile contiguous zone.
  • Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration said those drills affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic routes due to reroutes or cancellations.
  • The U.S. State Department urged Beijing to exercise restraint and halt military pressure, as partners in the EU and several Indo‑Pacific nations voiced serious concern; the drills followed a proposed U.S. arms package for Taiwan exceeding $11 billion.