Taiwan’s daily military reports indicate that the scale of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) air activity around Taiwan declined significantly during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. Between January and June 2026, the PLA conducted large-scale air operations involving 10 or more aircraft on 48 days, totaling 926 sorties. During the same period in 2025, such operations occurred on 104 days, totaling 2,392 sorties.
The decline extends beyond air operations around Taiwan. Reports indicate that the PLA Navy also reduced its operational activity in the Western Pacific during the first half of 2026, while Chinese military aircraft reportedly conducted fewer operations near Japan than in 2025. Beijing conducted two large-scale military exercises around Taiwan in April and December 2025, but no comparable encirclement exercise was held during the first half of 2026.
Chinese authorities have provided no official explanation for the decline. Some observers attribute it to continued leadership turmoil within the PLA, arguing that the removal or investigation of senior military leaders—including officials associated with the Central Military Commission and the PLA Air Force—may have disrupted the command structure and complicated the planning and coordination of large-scale joint operations. Others have pointed to possible maintenance, logistics, repair, and fuel supply constraints as contributing factors.
Source: Epoch Times, July 1, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/6/30/n14800151.htm