| Date | 1 Oct 2021 |
| Tracker | China-Taiwan Tensions |
| Type | Incursion |
| Location |
Taiwan Strait
23.57, 119.58 (approximate) |
Over four days beginning October 1, 2021, China's National Day, the PLA flew 149 aircraft into Taiwan's southwestern air defense identification zone, the heaviest surge recorded to that point. It peaked on October 4 with a then-record 56 aircraft in one day, including 12 H-6 bombers, J-16 and Su-30 fighters and KJ-500 early-warning aircraft. Taiwan scrambled fighters, broadcast warnings and tracked the flights with air-defense missiles; the sustained pressure set a new baseline for PLA air activity around the island.
| Series | That day | Prior 30-day avg | Week after vs before |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADIZ aircraft | 38 +874% | 3.9 | +650% (20 → 150) |
| Date | Type | Incident |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Aug 2022 | Exercise | China launches unprecedented live-fire exercises encircling Taiwan after Pelosi visit |
| 1 Sep 2022 | Interception | Taiwan shoots down Chinese drone over Kinmen islet in first such intercept |
| 2 Feb 2023 | Infrastructure | Both undersea internet cables to Taiwan's Matsu Islands severed by China-linked vessels |
| 8 Apr 2023 | Exercise | China launches Joint Sword exercises encircling Taiwan after Tsai-McCarthy meeting |
Taiwan's Cabinet on September 3, 2026 approved a NT$145.7 billion (US$4.6 billion) defense allocation within a NT$607.63 billion supplementary budget, covering two classified programs, three uncrewed-systems programs and the Chiang Kung anti-ballistic missile system, pending a legislative vote.
President Lai Ching-te's government will ask the Legislative Yuan for NT$1.1225 trillion ($35.2 billion) in defense spending for 2027, the first Taiwanese military budget above NT$1 trillion and the first to exceed 3 percent of GDP.
Chinese military aircraft entering Taiwan's air defense identification zone fell 52 percent in the first seven months of 2026 compared with the same period of 2025, according to Taiwan's daily defense ministry reports — while PLA Navy vessel sightings dropped just 7 percent.