Fri Jun 20 09:02:30 UTC 2025: ## Tensions Soar as China Sends Dozens of Aircraft Near Taiwan

**Taipei, Taiwan** – Tensions in the Taiwan Strait escalated sharply on Friday as Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported detecting over 70 Chinese military aircraft around the island in the past 24 hours. This follows a recent transit of the Strait by a British naval vessel, further fueling Beijing’s ire.

According to the Ministry, six Chinese naval vessels were also detected in the same period. A separate statement revealed that an additional 24 Chinese aircraft, including fighters and drones, were spotted later on Friday. Critically, 15 of these aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, a de facto boundary that Beijing does not recognize, while conducting joint air-sea training exercises with Chinese naval vessels. Taiwan’s military stated it is monitoring the situation and responding accordingly.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has increasingly asserted its claim through heightened military activity in the region. The recent surge in aircraft and naval vessel deployments comes as Beijing continues to pressure Taipei, particularly following the transit of the Taiwan Strait by the British Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Spey on June 18th.

China condemned the British move as a deliberate act of provocation. While the UK Ministry of Defence stated that the HMS Spey was conducting a routine navigation in full compliance with international law, Beijing’s Eastern Theatre Command accused the UK of “public hyping” and claimed its forces monitored the vessel.

The Taiwan Strait is viewed by the UK, the US, and other countries as international waters, open to all vessels. In recent months, warships from Canada and the United States have also transited the waterway.

This latest show of force follows a pattern of increased Chinese military activity near Taiwan. In April, Taiwan detected 76 Chinese aircraft and 15 naval vessels around the island during live-fire exercises that simulated strikes against key Taiwanese infrastructure. The record high for Chinese aircraft detected was 153 on October 15, 2024, after large-scale military drills in response to a speech by Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te.

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