China Escalates Cross-Strait Military Activity Under Taiwan President William Lai

China has significantly increased military activities around Taiwan since Taiwan President William Lai came to power in May 2024.  

  1. In 2024, the Chinese military flew a record-shattering 3,075 flights into Taiwan’s self-declared air defense identification Zone (ADIZ)—an 81 percent increase from 2023.  
  2. This uptick coincided with Lai’s inauguration as Taiwan’s president in 2024. Following Lai’s inauguration speech in May and his National Day speech in October, China staged large-scale military and law enforcement exercises around Taiwan dubbed “Joint Sword-2024A" and “Joint Sword-2024B.”   
  3. Beijing strongly opposes Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party, casting them as supporters of “Taiwan independence.” Going forward, China will likely sustain high levels of military activity to try to intimidate Lai’s administration, deter outside intervention, and enhance the capability of Chinese forces to operate around Taiwan.   

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Brian Hart

Brian Hart

Deputy Director and Fellow, China Power Project

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