Taiwan scrambled fighter jets and warships to monitor and deter increased Chinese military activity around the island nation.
The encroachment from Chinese aircraft and warships conducting a “joint combat readiness patrol” happened late Monday, according to an X post from the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of China. The Chinese military escalation comes after the U.S. military announced it was postponing an arms sale to Taiwan because of supply constraints caused by Operation Epic Fury, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said during a Senate subcommittee hearing.
“Xi Jinping has assured President Trump that China will not invade Taiwan, guaranteeing a free and open Indo-Pacific for the rest of the President’s term in office,” a senior administration official told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of China (Taiwan) announced in a post on X that it had detected “29 sorties of PLA (People’s Liberation Army) aircraft, 7 PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy) vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan detected up until 6 a.m.”
29 sorties of PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 24 out of 29 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern part ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored… pic.twitter.com/ms5KTvicQq
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan)
(@MoNDefense) May 26, 2026
(@MoNDefense) China deployed more than 100 ships along the First Island Chain on Saturday, according to Taiwan National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu. The First Island Chain is a key geographic chokepoint in the South China Sea that extends through key shipping lanes in Asia.
The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense published images of the “joint combat readiness patrol” on its official website, including two Chinese fighter jets in formation with a larger aircraft and a Chinese warship.
Taiwan’s Military News Agency did not respond to a request for comment.
‘This Is Unprovoked’
“For the 2nd time in a week, shortly after the #Beijing summit, the #PLA conducted a “joint combat readiness patrol” around #Taiwan,” Wu said in a post on X. “We also spotted the #Liaoning carrier group in the West Pacific. This is unprovoked. The #PRC is the sole source of instability in the #IndoPacific.”
For the 2nd time in a week, shortly after the #Beijing summit, the #PLA conducted a “joint combat readiness patrol” around #Taiwan. We also spotted the #Liaoning carrier group in the West Pacific. This is unprovoked. The #PRC is the sole source of instability in the #IndoPacific. https://t.co/JfIrHgUthO
— Joseph Wu (@josephwutw) May 26, 2026
President Donald Trump visited Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14 to discuss trade negotiations, the Strait of Hormuz and Taiwan. Trump referred to the weapons package as a good “negotiating chip” for the United States during an interview with Fox News on May 15.
The U.S. military had not “spoken to the Taiwanese” regarding the decision to postpone the arms sale to Taiwan, Cao said during the Senate subcommittee hearing.
“It’s just right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury, which we have plenty, but we are just making sure we have everything, but then the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary,” Cao said during the hearing.
The Liaoning aircraft carrier was involved in a live-fire training drill in the western Pacific on May 19, according to the South China Morning Post. This occurred after a standoff with Japanese fighter jets in December, in which Chinese fighter jets locked their radars onto Japanese fighter jets, according to U.S. Naval Institute News.
The Liaoning was originally purchased from Ukraine shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, according to the SCMP. The ship was allegedly purchased by a wealthy businessman with the cover story that it could be used as a casino, the SCMP reported.
The Soviet-era aircraft carrier, formerly named the Varyag, was not in running order when it was purchased and was lacking engines, The Washington Post reported on July 21, 2001. Although the SCMP reported that it came with engines that needed to be refitted.
Chinese warships armed with cruise missiles are sailing as close as 24 nautical miles from Taiwan’s shores, Reuters reported, citing the director of Taiwan’s Institute for National Defence and Security Research, Su Tzu-yun.
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