| Date | 8 Apr 2023 |
| Tracker | China-Taiwan Tensions |
| Type | Exercise |
| Location |
Taiwan Strait
23.57, 119.58 (approximate) |
The PLA Eastern Theater Command held the three-day Joint Sword exercises around Taiwan from April 8 to 10, 2023, days after President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. The drills rehearsed encirclement of the island and simulated joint precision strikes, with the carrier Shandong operating east of Taiwan. On the final day Taiwan detected 91 PLA aircraft and 12 ships around the island, then a single-day record, with 54 aircraft crossing the Taiwan Strait median line.
| Series | That day | Prior 30-day avg | Week after vs before |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADIZ aircraft | 45 +1264% | 3.3 | +659% (22 → 167) |
| Aircraft detected | 71 +640% | 9.6 | +369% (65 → 305) |
| PLAN ships | 9 +157% | 3.5 | +173% (22 → 60) |
| 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 |
| 2 Jan 2024 | Incursion | Chinese high-altitude balloon crosses over Taiwan island for first time amid overflight campaign |
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.