Taiwan reports large-scale Chinese military aircraft presence near island

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Politico/AP

03/15/2026 07:32 AM EDT


HONG KONG — Taiwan saw a surge of Chinese military planes near the island, its defense ministry said Sunday, after a sharp drop in flights over the past two weeks had sparked discussions among observers.

The ministry detected 26 Chinese military aircraft around the island on Saturday, with 16 of them entering its northern, central and southwestern Air Defense Identification Zone. Seven naval ships were spotted around the island, it reported. The increased number of aircraft came after the ministry reported a fall that left analysts scratching their heads about what China’s military may be up to.

Taiwan didn’t report any Chinese military planes that went beyond the median line and entered the zone for a week from Feb. 27 to March 5. After two were detected on March 6, the next four days had none. Such flights resumed in small numbers between Wednesday and Friday.

The drop coincided with the annual meeting of China’s legislature. While such flights have fallen in the past during major events and public holidays, this year’s fall was more prominent than in the past.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/15/taiwan-reports-large-scale-chinese-military-aircraft-presence-near-island-00829219

[Ritabert]

1. They may take the US' Iran attack as an example of invading countries to seize assets

[EarthFirst]

2. The unfortunate precedent has been set elsewhere...

…what a clusterfu*k of epic proportions.

[Chasstev365]

3. Can't wait to hear the how dumb, Orange Menace will justify this is a fine thing for the world.

But hey; the traitor Trump is fine with Russia giving away our military positions to Iran, so does anyone think he'll care?

[Kid Berwyn]

5. Gas at $20 per gallon.

No TP at Costco.

TV Blames Biden.

To put things in layman’s terms.

[CanonRay]

6. Perfect time for China to attack Taiwan

We have the most utterly incompetent leadership in our history. Plus our militart is tied up in this Iran fuckery, plus our allies are pissed at us.

[Frasier Balzov]

7. U.S. military tied up elsewhere.

Trump is even asking for China's navy to help HIM in the Strait of Hormuz!

And Trump has cast aside international law, so who has any right to complain if Taiwan is reclaimed?

[LudwigPastorius]

8. I imagine that they are attempting to triangulate exactly where Taiwan's surface-to-air missiles and...

air defense artillery are. If the ROC is tracking those planes with their defensive radar systems, the Chinese can find out where they are coming from.

On a ominous side note, if Xi is thinking of invading Taiwan anytime in the next few years, now might be the time to do it since the U.S. is tied up with a useless war 4,000 miles away.