BEIJING -- The Chinese military has been establishing a key capability for securing control of the sea and air in the event of an armed invasion of Taiwan, acquiring abilities to simultaneously conduct aerial attacks on land, sea and air targets, according to multiple sources. The sources drew this conclusion by analyzing China's military aircraft incursions into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), which surged in 2021. China's preparations for a Taiwan invasion operation will near completion once the capability for landing operations on Taiwan's main island is acquired, the sources said.
In 2021, China's military aircraft flew into Taiwan's ADIZ on about 250 occasions, with a total of 960 aircraft, according to Taiwan's National Defense Ministry. In particular, from Sept. 16 to the end of December, about 500 aircraft flew in, more than three times the approximately 150 that were seen in the same period the year before.
