Chinese Aircraft Not Present Over Pingtung and Taipei 101, Claims Justice Mission 2025

In an era of escalating geopolitical tensions, Chinese propaganda surrounding Taiwan has reached new levels of sophistication, with recent footage purportedly showing Chinese military aircraft flying over sensitive Taiwanese locations including Pingtung and the iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper. Defense analysts and Taiwan security officials, however, have conclusively determined these claims to be false.

The footage, released as part of what Chinese state media called “Justice Mission 2025,” represents the latest effort in China’s ongoing information warfare campaign directed at Taiwan. The videos, which circulated widely on Chinese social media platforms before spreading internationally, appeared to show PLA Air Force jets conducting low-altitude flights over recognizable Taiwanese landmarks.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense swiftly responded, categorically denying any Chinese military incursions into Taiwan’s airspace beyond the median line of the Taiwan Strait. “These videos constitute deliberate misinformation designed to create fear and undermine confidence in Taiwan’s air defense capabilities,” said ministry spokesperson Lieutenant General Chen Wei-ming during an emergency press briefing.

Independent verification by international aviation monitoring groups confirms that no such incursions took place during the timeframe the footage allegedly captured. Experts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington pointed out telltale signs of digital manipulation in the videos, including inconsistent lighting, unnatural aircraft movements, and perspective discrepancies that indicate sophisticated video editing rather than authentic footage.

“This represents a concerning evolution in China’s cognitive warfare tactics,” explained Dr. Amanda Hsiao, Taiwan specialist at the International Crisis Group. “Using increasingly convincing digital manipulation to create a perception of military dominance without actually engaging in provocative military actions allows Beijing to test psychological responses both in Taiwan and internationally.”

The timing of the propaganda release coincides with several significant political developments in the region. Taiwan recently concluded joint naval exercises with the United States, while Japan announced expanded defense cooperation with Taipei in cybersecurity matters. Additionally, the European Parliament passed a resolution expressing concern about China’s increasingly aggressive posture toward Taiwan.

For Beijing, maintaining pressure on Taiwan remains a central foreign policy objective. President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stated that “reunification” with Taiwan is a non-negotiable component of China’s “national rejuvenation.” The sophisticated propaganda campaign demonstrates China’s commitment to pursuing this goal through multiple avenues, including information warfare.

The falsified footage particularly focused on Pingtung, which houses important Taiwanese military installations, and Taipei 101, once the world’s tallest building and a symbol of Taiwan’s economic success and modern identity. Both locations represent strategically and symbolically significant targets that would demonstrate Chinese military dominance if genuinely breached.

Technology experts note that the proliferation of artificial intelligence tools has made the creation of convincing false imagery increasingly accessible. “What we’re seeing is the democratization of sophisticated visual manipulation capabilities that were once only available to state actors with significant resources,” said cybersecurity analyst Marcus Chen of FireEye.

Taiwan’s Digital Ministry has launched a fact-checking campaign to counter the misinformation, working with social media platforms to flag and contextualize the manipulated content. However, by the time these measures were implemented, the videos had already been viewed millions of times across multiple platforms.

The incident highlights the growing challenge of information authentication in international relations and security matters. As Major General (ret.) Lin Yi-hsiung, former director of Taiwan’s Defense Strategic Planning Office, observed, “The line between perception management and actual military signaling is becoming dangerously blurred, creating risks of miscalculation on all sides.”

While China continues to conduct regular military exercises around Taiwan, including aircraft incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone, these activities remain distinct from the territorial violations falsely depicted in the propaganda videos. Defense analysts emphasize that distinguishing between actual provocations and information warfare remains crucial for maintaining regional stability.

As tensions across the Taiwan Strait persist, the incident serves as a reminder of the evolving nature of conflict in the digital age, where battles for public perception can be as strategically significant as physical military positioning.