Asia-Pacific Affairs

China’s Aggressive Military Maneuvers in Taiwan Strait Expose Regional Threats

By National Security Desk | June 20, 2025

China’s unprecedented deployment of 74 warplanes near Taiwan, with most crossing the central dividing line, signals a stark escalation of military intimidation aimed at undermining Taiwan’s sovereignty and regional stability.

China’s recent dispatch of an extraordinary force of 74 military aircraft toward Taiwan between late Thursday and early Friday—61 breaching the unofficial median line in the Taiwan Strait—marks a significant escalation in Beijing’s ongoing campaign to assert dominance over the self-governing island.

This intensified air operation is not an isolated show of force. Instead, it reinforces the People’s Republic of China’s persistent strategy to pressure Taiwan through aggressive military posturing that aims to erode morale, exhaust defense resources, and intimidate its 23 million residents into submission. The mass sortie occurred amid heightened tensions after the British Royal Navy’s HMS Spey navigated international waters within the strait just one day prior.

Challenging International Norms Under Cover

While the Taiwan Strait is recognized internationally as open waters, where freedom of navigation is upheld under international law, China continues to contest foreign naval passage in this critical corridor. London’s decision to sail HMS Spey through these waters was a deliberate demonstration supporting free and open Indo-Pacific principles and resistance against unilateral territorial claims.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rightly applauded this transit as a reaffirmation of international law, emphasizing such maneuvers by Britain and like-minded nations as vital safeguards for peace and stability in a region facing persistent Chinese aggression.

Military Posturing That Breeds Instability

China responded predictably with accusations that Britain’s naval movement “deliberately disturbed” regional security—a stark reminder that Beijing interprets any challenge to its expansionist claims as provocations warranting military countermeasures. The Eastern Theater Command mobilized its forces not only to shadow the British ship but also to conduct its own provocative aerial operations involving fighter jets, drones, early warning planes, and accompanying naval vessels.

Taiwan’s robust response deploying ships, interceptors, and missile systems underscores Taipei’s commitment to defending its sovereignty despite facing asymmetric pressure from a vastly larger adversary willing to flout established international norms.

The Broader Strategic Implications

This episode reflects more than tactical brinkmanship; it epitomizes China’s broader ambition to rewrite rules governing freedom of navigation and sovereign rights in Asia. The growing scale and frequency of these incursions threaten not only Taiwan but also regional security architectures built on respect for national sovereignty and lawful maritime conduct.

The United States and allied partners must remain vigilant in supporting Taiwan as a beacon of democracy under siege. Upholding freedom of navigation operations alongside diplomatic efforts signals America First principles prioritizing national sovereignty while countering globalist attempts that erode independent nation-states.