China sharply increased military activity near Taiwan this week. Beijing sent dozens of warplanes across the median line of the Taiwan Strait just days after a British warship passed through the sensitive waterway. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported Friday, June 20, 50 Chinese military aircraft operating around the island, with 46 crossing the median line that separates Chinese and Taiwanese airspace.
In total, Taiwan reported 75 PLA sorties over a two-day period, marking the highest level of activity since last fall.
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Taiwan reported 75 Chinese military sorties between June 18 and June 20, 2025. Of those, 65 crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line.
Why did China escalate military flights over the Taiwan Strait?
The flights came after the Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel HMS Spey sailed through the Taiwan Strait earlier in the week. While China did not directly link the two events, it issued strong objections to the British operation, accusing London of deliberately causing trouble and undermining peace in the region. China’s Eastern Theater Command said it monitored the entire transit and vowed to “resolutely counter all threats and provocations.”
The British government said the voyage was a lawful freedom of navigation operation, conducted in line with international law under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Taiwan welcomed the British move, calling it a reaffirmation of the strait’s status as international waters and encouraging allies to send their ships as well in order to uphold regional stability.
What role did recent US activity play?
The increase in Chinese military activity also comes after a group of U.S. lawmakers visited Taiwan and met with Defense Minister Wellington Koo. Beijing opposes official U.S. contact with Taiwan, which it considers a breakaway province that must eventually come under Chinese control, by force if necessary. The United States remains Taiwan’s most significant military backer.
How does the broader regional situation factor in?
The British warship’s transit occurred as the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier group arrived in East Asia for a months-long deployment, which includes joint exercises with allies like Japan, Australia and the United States. China has warned that such deployments risk heightening tensions at a delicate time.
The military pressure on Taiwan comes as U.S. leaders weigh possible military action elsewhere, including Iran. Taiwanese officials have expressed concern that global conflicts could embolden Beijing to increase military activity around the island if Washington’s focus shifts.
What is the current US and allied posture?
In addition to the U.K., Japan has also recently sailed warships through the Taiwan Strait, marking the third known Japanese transit in the past year. Several other Western nations have increased transits through the strait in recent years, asserting navigation rights in what remains one of the world’s most contested waterways.
The People’s Liberation Army stated Friday that its forces remain on high alert and will continue to respond firmly to what it calls foreign provocations.
