If China moves on Taiwan

After Taiwan's president Lee Teng-hui spoke at Cornell, China fired missiles into the seas north of Taiwan in 1995 and off its two main ports before Taiwan's first direct presidential vote in 1996. The US sent two carrier groups.

After US Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, China closed six then seven zones ringing Taiwan and fired ballistic missiles, some over the island. It was the first time Chinese missiles landed in Japan's economic zone.

After President Tsai Ing-wen met US Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California, the PLA ran three days of combat readiness patrols around Taiwan with the carrier Shandong to the east.

Three days after Lai Ching-te's inauguration, the PLA drilled around Taiwan and the islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin, with the coast guard joining in.

After Lai's National Day speech, the PLA held one day of drills in the strait and six areas around Taiwan, practising port blockades, with four coast guard flotillas.

Without a name or an announcement, China sent about 90 naval and coast guard ships across the first island chain, the largest maritime deployment to that date.

After Lai called China a foreign hostile force, the PLA drilled around Taiwan, named the second day Strait Thunder-2025A, and simulated strikes on ports and energy sites.

After a US arms sale, the PLA drilled a blockade of Keelung and Kaohsiung with live rocket fire, the first drill with a stated aim of deterring outside forces.

No named encirclement drill has been held in 2026. Air sorties fell to roughly half of 2025 while warships stayed and coast guard and maritime agency ships moved east of Taiwan.