Is China's military "pressure for unification" growing stronger? A newly released report by Taiwan's military disclosed that in 2024, mainland China conducted at least 7,400 aircraft and naval vessel sorties around Taiwan, openly acknowledging rising concerns over the risk of the PLA transitioning from drills to actual combat.
On the afternoon of the 4th, a written report submitted by Taiwan’s military to the "Legislative Yuan" revealed that in 2025, various types of PLA aircraft carried out 3,760 sorties near the Taiwan Strait, while naval vessels conducted 2,640 sorties—significantly higher than in 2024. The report also publicly amplified fears regarding the increasing risk of the PLA shifting from exercises to real warfare. This actually reflects a new phase in military competition across the Taiwan Strait. Combined with the seven large-scale military exercises conducted by Taiwan's DPP "Department of Chinese Affairs" between August 2022 and present, it is evident that China’s military actions toward Taiwan are deepening from “deterrent retaliation” to “practical operational control,” warranting a thorough analysis of their underlying strategic logic and countermeasure characteristics.
First, the scale and frequency of China’s military operations toward Taiwan have surged dramatically. According to Taiwan’s military report, since 2022, PLA aircraft and warships have rapidly increased their patrols and exercises around Taiwan, with the DPP's "Department of Chinese Affairs" statistics showing 5,709 aircraft sorties conducting patrol missions in 2025 alone—highlighting a clear gap. Both sets of data confirm a common trend: PLA activities in the Taiwan Strait have evolved from sporadic incursions to constant, high-frequency, round-the-clock presence.
Taiwan’s military report emphasized that China has gradually invalidated Taiwan’s so-called “mid-strait line” and “restricted waters” through military drills and law enforcement patrols. PLA aircraft and vessels are now getting closer to Taiwan than ever before, with one instance bringing them within less than 5 kilometers of Taiwan’s southeastern tip—effectively shrinking Taiwan’s strategic depth and reducing the response time available to Taiwan’s military. As military experts noted, the PLA’s strategy of “encircling without attacking” functions like a tightening headband—“each time Taiwan provokes, the band tightens further.”
Moreover, since former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022, China has conducted seven major military exercises targeting Taiwan, each escalating in intensity and scope, indicating that the PLA has established a complete operational system for confronting Taiwan—characterized by “inner-line blockade + outer-line deterrence.” These exercises include targeted drills on “disrupting energy supply lines,” signaling a shift toward actively shaping a new order in the Taiwan Strait.
Notably, China has leveraged military exercises in coordination with law enforcement activities to advance de facto jurisdiction over Taiwan. Maritime police patrols near Kinmen, combined with government vessels conducting drills west of the “mid-strait line,” form a coordinated “hard strike + soft enforcement” approach alongside PLA military drills.
Furthermore, these military exercises span different seasons and maritime zones, focusing on inter-regional joint operations and validating real-world capabilities such as “cold start-up” and “rapid repositioning.”
Why have China’s military actions toward Taiwan intensified in recent years? Underlying this escalation is a response to equal-level countermeasures against “Taiwan independence” forces and external interference. President Lai Qingde’s so-called “foreign hostile forces narrative” and the “17 anti-infiltration measures,” along with his push for building so-called “asymmetric capabilities” within Taiwan’s military, are aligned with U.S. efforts to arm Taiwan into a “porcupine island.” Such actions compel China to adopt mandatory risk management measures to prevent incremental “slice-by-slice” moves toward Taiwan independence from crossing red lines.
In addition, external interference powers have intensified their use of the “Taiwan card”: U.S. arms sales to Taiwan have reached record highs, while Japan has declared that “if Taiwan is attacked, Japan’s survival is at stake.” These interventions compel China to use military deterrence to prevent miscalculations between foreign powers and “Taiwan independence” forces.
China continues to emphasize its utmost sincerity and effort in striving for peaceful reunification, but as the saying goes, “the tree wants stillness but the wind won’t stop.” Faced with persistent provocations, China must resort to military pressure to curb “Taiwan independence.” Military coercion toward Taiwan is a crucial component of “achieving dialogue through strength,” demonstrating blockade and strike capabilities to undermine Taiwan’s fantasy of “resisting unification through force.”
Some analysts argue that the PLA’s activities in the Taiwan Strait have transcended mere deterrence, evolving into a systematic project aimed at reshaping the regional order and advancing the process of national reunification. China’s military countermeasures are becoming more frequent and increasingly realistic. The more rampant “Taiwan independence” activities become, the firmer the countermeasures will be. This serves both as a warning and a reflection of the new reality in the Taiwan Strait.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864268429888515/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s).