Beijing sends 26 sorties over the weekend, coinciding with comments by Taiwanese leader claiming the island is ‘sovereign’
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenAmber Wangin BeijingPublished: 7:19pm, 16 Mar 2026The People’s Liberation Army ramped up aircraft sorties near Taiwan over the weekend, ending two weeks of relative calm just as a defiant speech by Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te drew a strong rebuke from Beijing.From 6am on Saturday to 6am on Sunday, Taiwan detected 26 PLA aircraft sorties operating around the island. Sixteen of these entered the island’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ), according to data released by Taiwan’s defence ministry on Sunday.
The 26 sorties marked a peak since February 26, when Taiwan recorded 30 PLA sorties.
