Chinese Satellite Traverses Taiwan’s ADIZ Amidst Heightened Cross-Strait Tensions

Taipei, Taiwan – A satellite launched by China on Sunday, August 17, 2025, traversed Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), prompting a swift announcement from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND). The incident, while deemed to pose no direct threat due to the satellite’s high altitude, underscores the persistent and escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait. This news comes amidst a backdrop of increasing Chinese military maneuvers near the island.

The Latest Overflight: Details Emerge

The Chinese satellite, identified by Xinhua as Shiyan-28B 02, was launched at 4:55 p.m. Beijing Time (UTC+8) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China’s southwestern Sichuan Province. Its flight path took it over the southwestern section of Taiwan’s ADIZ before continuing towards the Western Pacific. The MND confirmed that its armed forces, utilizing a joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system, closely monitored the trajectory of the satellite. The ministry subsequently posted on social media platform X at 6:40 p.m. (UTC+8), reassuring the public that the satellite’s altitude was “beyond the atmosphere,” thereby posing no immediate threat to Taiwan.

According to Chinese state media, the Shiyan-28B 02 is a new test satellite primarily intended for ‘space environment exploration and related technology tests.’

Understanding the ADIZ and Sovereignty

An Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is an airspace where a country requests aircraft to provide identification and flight plan information for national security purposes. It extends beyond sovereign territorial airspace, which is generally considered to be the air above a nation’s land and territorial waters. While international law generally recognizes a state’s right to declare an ADIZ for defense, these zones do not confer sovereignty over the air within them.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense’s assessment that the satellite posed ‘no threat’ is consistent with the understanding that objects at orbital altitudes are in outer space, which is beyond national airspace. However, the recurring nature of such events and their trajectory over sensitive areas like Taiwan’s ADIZ are viewed as part of Beijing’s ongoing pressure campaign against the self-governed island.

A Pattern of Pressure: Beyond Satellites

This is not an isolated incident. Chinese satellite launches have previously triggered alerts in Taiwan, notably in January 2024 when a launch prompted a widespread mobile phone alert, initially mislabeled as a ‘missile’ in its English translation, highlighting the public’s heightened state of alert. Another similar overflight occurred in September 2024. These satellite overflights occur within a broader context of steadily increasing Chinese military activity around Taiwan.

Taiwan’s MND routinely reports the detection of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and naval vessels operating near its territory, often crossing the tacitly recognized median line of the Taiwan Strait and entering Taiwan’s ADIZ. Such incursions are widely considered ‘gray zone’ tactics, designed to test Taiwan’s response capabilities and normalize Chinese military presence in the region without resorting to overt armed conflict.

Geopolitical Implications and Regional Concerns

The relationship between mainland China and Taiwan is deeply complex, rooted in the unresolved Chinese Civil War, with Beijing viewing Taiwan as a breakaway province to be reunified, by force if necessary. These ongoing military and space-related activities are seen as an integral part of China’s strategy to assert its sovereignty claims and exert pressure on Taipei.

The international community closely watches these developments, with many nations expressing concern over regional stability. For instance, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, speaking on August 18, 2025, criticized China’s ‘increasingly aggressive behavior’ in the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing the potential for serious consequences for global security and the world economy if escalation occurs.

In response to these escalating pressures, Taiwan is actively working to bolster its defense capabilities, including developing its own resilient satellite network. This strategic move aims to reduce the island’s reliance on vulnerable undersea communication cables and external providers, particularly in light of perceived threats to its space infrastructure.

As the headline of this evolving situation suggests, the satellite overflight is more than just a technical event; it is a significant element in the intricate and often tense geopolitical landscape of the Taiwan Strait, keeping the island nation and its allies on constant alert.