China has once again increased pressure in the sea and air space around Taiwan, a negative signal for the situation in the Taiwan Strait that also keeps air defence pressure on Taiwan rising.

• From the afternoon of October 6, multiple groups of Chinese military aircraft put out to sea, among them 9 sorties that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the airspace off northern and central Taiwan.
• The aircraft deployed included J-11, JH-7 and Su-30 main combat aircraft, along with KJ-500 early warning aircraft, Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft and drones, for a total of 14 sorties.
• The aircraft operated in coordination with Chinese navy vessels, carrying out activities around Taiwan under the name of a "joint combat readiness patrol" — a form of routine military pressure.
• Taiwan's military tracked the activity throughout using joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance means, and dispatched mission aircraft, ships and land-based missile systems in response.

Outlook: Joint air and naval operations of this kind are expected to continue or even become more frequent, and tensions in the Taiwan Strait are unlikely to ease in the short term.