In August, a record number of Chinese air incursions into Taiwan were recorded, with more than 440 military aircraft infiltrating its air defense zone, as visits by US lawmakers to the island angered Beijing.

According to a database compiled by AFP based on data from the Chinese Ministry of Defense, 446 Chinese aircraft, mostly fighter jets, entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone in August, more than 380 violations recorded during 2020.

In the first eight months of 2022, Beijing carried out 1,068 incursions into the Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone, exceeding the total number of incursions recorded in 2021 of 969.

During August, a record number of incursions into the island’s air defense identification zone were recorded as Beijing organizes an unprecedented military exercise to protest the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other US political figures to Taipei.

After Pelosi’s visit in early August, China sent warships, fighter jets and missiles into Taiwan’s waters and airspace for a full week after Pelosi’s visit. These were the largest and most aggressive maneuvers since the mid-1990s.