“Taiwan is, of course, a country,” proclaimed the island’s President Lai Ching-te on June 22. In his first of a series of 10 lectures, Lai reaffirmed that Taiwan’s sovereignty derives from its 23 million people, earning him a swift rebuke from Beijing. True to form, Beijing resorted to calling Lai’s speech “a ‘Taiwan independence’ declaration that blatantly incited cross-strait confrontation.”

Given the precedent set in recent years, it was no surprise China sent 132 aircraft to operate around Taiwan in the week following Lai’s speech, with 99 of the aircraft crossing Taiwan’s median line.

This isn’t an isolated, one-time event. It is one of the many instances in the last few years of China increasing its military activity around Taiwan. This summer is no exception, and Beijing is turning up the heat even more.

So far, China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army, has been unwavering in its bullying of Taiwan, despite the commencement of President Donald Trump’s second term. As of April 2025, Chinese activity around Taiwan

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