Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence reports detecting 31 Chinese military aircraft, 13 naval vessels, and three official ships operating near the island as of 6 AM local time on Saturday.

Of these, 25 aircraft cross the Taiwan Strait median line into Taiwan’s northern, central, and southwestern air defence identification zone (ADIZ), prompting a monitored response, according to an MND post on X.

This activity follows Friday’s report of 22 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels, with 15 crossing the median line into the northern and southwestern ADIZ. The uptick underscores a pattern of frequent and intensified Chinese military operations near Taiwan in recent weeks.

The median line, a long-standing unofficial boundary, has seen increasing violations by Chinese aircraft, which Taipei views as a challenge to its sovereignty, rooted in decades of separation since 1949.

Taiwan has governed itself since the Republic of China relocated there after losing the Chinese Civil War, while Beijing claims the island under the “One China” principle, reserving the right to use force for reunification. China employs military drills, diplomatic isolation, and economic pressure to assert its stance.