Taiwan’s defense ministry reported detecting 16 Chinese military aircraft flying near the island on Friday, coinciding with a high-level diplomatic meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and a prominent Taiwanese opposition figure in Beijing.
The aircraft activity occurred from mid-morning through mid-afternoon Friday, according to Taiwan’s daily military monitoring report. This timing overlapped with an 11 a.m. meeting where Xi hosted Cheng Li-wun, who leads Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT).
During their Beijing discussion, Xi declared he “absolutely would not tolerate” Taiwan’s independence, reinforcing China’s position that the island belongs to Chinese territory. Cheng characterized her diplomatic visit as an effort to reduce regional tensions and expressed hopes for greater cooperation between the KMT and Communist Party to establish “institutionalisation” of peace in the Taiwan Strait.
A Taiwanese government official criticized the military display, calling it part of China’s standard approach. “So on one hand we see them sending out messages of peace, while on the other hand they continue to use military force to pressure Taiwan without letup,” said Shen Yu-chung, a deputy minister at Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council. He described military intimidation as China’s “go-to tactic” for political pressure.
KMT Vice Chairman Chang Jung-kung, speaking from Beijing, argued that meaningful dialogue with China creates “peace with dignity” rather than submission. He suggested Taiwanese citizens should choose between reconciliation and conflict, contrasting this approach with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s policies.
President Lai’s administration responded critically to the Xi-Cheng summit, claiming it aimed to promote the idea that “Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China” and advance “the annexation of Taiwan.” Presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo emphasized that “Taiwan’s future can only be decided by the Taiwanese people themselves.”
Chinese officials did not provide comment on the military aircraft deployment or the diplomatic meeting’s timing.
