China's Taiwan Strait Silence: Trump Talks, Oil Crisis, or Internal Purge?
China's Taiwan Strait Silence: Trump Talks, Oil Crisis, or Internal Purge?
- •PLA halted near-daily aerial sorties into Taiwan's ADIZ for two weeks (late Feb-early Mar 2026), a "strategic pause."
- •Silence coincided with upcoming Trump-Xi summit in Beijing, possibly a "goodwill gesture" or "peaceful facade" by China.
- •Soaring global oil prices (> $115/barrel) and Strait of Hormuz closure (critical for China's oil) may have forced PLA to "rationalise" fuel use.
- •Pause also overlapped with China's "Two Sessions" and recent high-level purges within PLA, suggesting internal recalibration.
- •PLA jets have reappeared, with 5 detected recently, coinciding with a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flight through the Strait.
