Chinese President Xi Jinping is shifting tactics in his campaign to pressure Taiwan, ramping up diplomatic isolation of the island while dialing down provocative displays of military aggression.
Taiwan recorded a daily average of five Chinese war planes crossing the Taiwan Strait¡¯s buffer line with China through May this year ¡ª half the number logged over the?same period in 2025. In March, Beijing didn¡¯t send a single fighter jet near Taiwan for seven straight days, the longest absence on record outside typhoon periods. For comparison, China sent 153 planes near Taiwan during one day at its peak in late 2024.
Beijing also has yet to conduct major military drills around Taiwan this year, and is showcasing new tactics for pressing its case without the People¡¯s Liberation Army. China¡¯s Ministry of Transport last week conducted patrols east of Taiwan for the first time, asserting territorial claims through survey vessels and firefighting ships.
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