Reports surfaced that China has significantly enhanced its capabilities for surprise attacks on Taiwan. Analysts noted that China is regularly deploying forces near the strait and in the air, effectively maintaining a constant state of readiness for war.
On the 26th, the Financial Times (FT) reported, citing a high-ranking military official in Taiwan, that "Chinese Air Force and missile units have reached a level where they can transition from peacetime to wartime at any time."
According to another defense official in Taiwan who spoke to FT, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been conducting regular training near key ports for a potential landing on Taiwan, and the Army's aviation units are also reportedly carrying out continuous air drop training.
According to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, PLA fighter jets are entering Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) more than 245 times per month, a significant increase from less than 10 times five years ago. FT noted, "They are crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which was considered a de facto boundary in the past, more than 120 times a month." It cited a U.S. defense official as saying, "This is clear evidence that air pressure on Taiwan is obviously increasing."
China has been showcasing its aerial capabilities by deploying 153 fighter jets near Taiwan in a single day last October. Its naval power has also been rapidly strengthened. Since 2022, the PLA Navy has frequently deployed forces to the Miyako Strait and the Bashi Channel, which are effectively the only routes for Chinese naval vessels to enter the Pacific.
FT reported that China is elevating its overall combat capabilities not only in land, sea, and air but also across multiple domains. In the past, it operated rocket, missile, naval, and air forces separately, but recent training has featured simultaneous operations across all these fronts.
Citing Professor Joshua Arostegui of the U.S. Army War College, it noted that "China has demonstrated confidence in its ability to integrate command of operations across all domains in recent training and has shown control capabilities in large-scale operations. This is perceived as a threat by many countries."