In a 24-hour period leading up to 6:00 am Thursday, Taiwan's defense ministry reported the detection of 32 Chinese military aircraft circling the island, the second-highest number recorded this year. Additionally, five Chinese naval ships were spotted operating in the vicinity during the same timeframe. Notably, twenty of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, prompting Taiwan's armed forces to respond by closely monitoring the situation and deploying patrol aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems.

This surge in military activity follows tensions arising from Taiwan's presidential election in January, which saw Vice President Lai Ching-te emerge victorious. The incoming president-elect, along with vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), is scheduled to take office on May 20.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office criticized Hsiao Bi-khim for her recent visit to the Czech Republic, accusing her of promoting Taiwan independence and undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The heightened military presence around Taiwan also coincides with a dispute between Taipei and Beijing over a fatal fishing boat incident near Taiwan's Kinmen islands, resulting in two deaths.

China's increased military maneuvers, including the deployment of warplanes, naval vessels, and balloons near Taiwan, reflect Beijing's ongoing efforts to assert its territorial claims over the self-ruled island. These actions have escalated tensions in the region in recent years, with both sides engaging in a tit-for-tat exchange of military posturing.