As our friends at our sister site HotAir reported Friday, there’s been a notable drop in Chinese air force activity around Taiwan recently, and the obvious question is: why? 

Do the U.S. military operations Absolute Resolve (Venezuela) and Epic Fury (Iran) have them feeling all shook up?

Chinese air force activity around Taiwan has fallen sharply in recent weeks, with no flights at all in the past week, a sudden drop in what had been daily military manoeuvres that could signal Beijing is recalibrating its pressure on Taipei. https://t.co/vCA7nvXC1g

— Reuters China (@ReutersChina) March 5, 2026

Here’s the summary, courtesy of Reuters:

Taiwan reports sudden drop in Chinese air force activity

Chinese war planes normally fly daily around Taiwan

China has not commented on reduction in flights

China in middle of sweeping military purge

China has been honing ability to attack Taiwan

The numbers clearly show the drop in operations is significant:

China has dispatched 460 military planes - from fighter jets to drones - into Taiwan's air defence identification zone so far this year, a 46.5% drop compared with a year ago, according to Taiwan government data compiled by research group Secure Taiwan Associate Corporation (STA).

BREAKING: ???? China has mysteriously stopped sending warplanes into Taiwan’s sensitive air zone for 7 days, its longest pause since monitoring began.

The move comes amid rising global tensions and key political developments, while Taiwan reports no major change in maritime… pic.twitter.com/43To1uAbXc

— War Radar (@War_Radar2) March 6, 2026

The move comes amid rising global tensions and key political developments, while Taiwan reports no major change in maritime activity.

Analysts say the unexplained silence raises questions about military strategy and regional stability.

The U.S. flex of military power is not good news for the People’s Republic:

New: Strait of Hormuz Blockade Could Squeeze Russia and China

The Energy Squeeze China's in Over Operation Epic Fury Is Just a Foretaste of What Is Yet to Come

HotAir’s David Strom sums up why Chinese leaders might be feeling a little nauseous just about now:

It doesn't take a genius like me to see that Donald Trump's recent military actions against Iran, Venezuela, the drug cartels, and the proxies of Iran in the Middle East are at least partially aimed at defanging China by stripping it of many of its most important allies.

Iran and Venezuela provided cheap oil to China, and as a result of Trump's recent actions, it has to find a replacement supplier for almost 20% of its oil supply and pay market rates as well.

Then there is the fact that China has taken a major prestige hit. Not only has it abandoned its allies at the moment of their greatest need, but the weapons China provided in the run-up to the conflicts have proved useless against American firepower.

China could just be playing possum and pretending to be peaceful before a scheduled Trump-Xi Jinping summit at the end of March. 

On the other hand, many analysts believe they’re seriously rattled and have miscalculated their strengths and America’s “weakness.” Maybe we looked neutered when Joe Biden was president, but those days are gone.

Here’s the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP):

For years, the Chinese Communist Party bet its Middle East strategy on the survival of Iran’s regime.

Xi Jinping called America a “declining power.” Beijing signed a strategic pact with Iran and relied on its leaders to counter U.S. influence.

Now that bet has collapsed.

When…

— Select Committee on China (@ChinaSelect) March 4, 2026

When America's strength is tested, it delivers. And the world is watching.

Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.

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