Military tensions between China and Taiwan have resurfaced. In one of its largest military operations in recent years, China has conducted extensive drills involving dozens of fighter jets and warships maneuvering around Taiwan’s territory.

The exercises, which began on Monday (December 29, 2025) local time, featured intensive deployments of Chinese military assets, including fighter aircraft, naval vessels, and coast guard ships operating near the democratic island.

The scale and intensity of these maneuvers are considered the most significant since 2022.

Beijing stated that the drills included simulations of ground and naval assaults, live-fire exercises, and scenarios aimed at blockading Taiwan’s major ports.

China’s Maritime Safety Administration subsequently designated seven live-fire exercise zones, exceeding the initial plan of five areas.

These training zones were reportedly positioned closer to Taiwan than in previous exercises, reinforcing signals of heightened military pressure from Beijing toward Taipei.

Amid the rising military escalation, attention has turned to the balance of military power between China and Taiwan.

According to Global Fire Power (GFP) 2025 data, the military capabilities of both sides are reflected through the Power Index—an indicator that evaluates national military strength based on factors such as manpower, weaponry, logistics, defense spending, and combat readiness.

Under this assessment system, a lower index score indicates stronger military capability.

In 2025, China recorded a Power Index of 0.078, significantly outperforming Taiwan, which stood at 0.398. This gap highlights a substantial disparity in military capacity between the two.

On a global scale, China ranks third among the world’s strongest militaries, trailing only the United States and Russia.

Taiwan, by contrast, is positioned 22nd globally, reflecting a considerable distance from China in terms of overall military strength.

Based on eight key indicators used by GFP, China dominates nearly all aspects of military power when compared with Taiwan.

Beijing leads in seven categories, including troop numbers, air, land, and naval forces, as well as natural resource capacity, defense budget support, and logistical capabilities.

The only category in which Taiwan holds an advantage is geography.

As an island nation with complex defensive terrain, Taiwan benefits from strategic geographical features such as its location, topography, and surrounding waters, which are considered favorable for defensive military strategies.

Overall, the military balance clearly shows China’s superiority across most core parameters, particularly those related to scale and volume of military hardware.

In terms of manpower, China fields approximately 2,035,000 active personnel, far exceeding Taiwan’s force of around 215,000 active troops.

The disparity is also evident in defense spending. In 2025, China’s military budget reached approximately US$266.85 billion, while Taiwan allocated about US$19.74 billion. This funding gap plays a crucial role in supporting China’s weapons modernization, military technology development, and overall combat readiness.

Regarding air power, China operates 1,212 fighter aircraft, compared with Taiwan’s fleet of around 285 jets.

A similar imbalance exists in naval strength. China maintains 754 active naval vessels, whereas Taiwan operates only 97. China’s maritime force includes submarines, destroyers, frigates, and aircraft carriers, underscoring Beijing’s dominant naval presence in the region