Taiwan’s defense ministry said Saturday that Chinese military activity around the island had climbed to its highest level since 2023, underscoring continued pressure from Beijing across the Taiwan Strait. The ministry said it detected 57 Chinese aircraft and 14 naval vessels in the 24 hours ending at 6 a.m. local time.

The reported surge comes amid persistent tensions between Taiwan and China, which claims the self-governed island as its own territory and has stepped up military and political coercion in recent years. Taiwan has repeatedly warned that such operations raise the risk of miscalculation and increase instability in the region.

Taipei has responded by tracking and publicizing Chinese sorties and ship movements as part of its broader effort to document activity near its air and sea boundaries. The latest figures point to one of the most intense periods of military pressure in recent months, reinforcing concerns among regional security officials about the pace of escalation.

The Reuters report did not indicate any direct confrontation, but the scale of the deployments highlights the fragile security environment surrounding the island and the wider Indo-Pacific. Taiwan’s government continues to call for restraint while strengthening its defenses against further intimidation.