There have been some news stories from Pakistan saying that Indian fighter jets were shot down during a military operation. While India has not agreed with this claim, many people around the world are talking about it. One of the countries that got more alert after hearing this news is Taiwan.
What Happened in the First Place?
On May 7, 2025, India carried out a military mission called Operation Sindoor. They targeted some areas in Pakistan where they believed dangerous groups were hiding. India said the mission went well. But Pakistan says they stopped the attack and even shot down India’s powerful Rafale fighter jets.
Even though this news is not confirmed, it made many countries start paying more attention specially Taiwan.
Why Taiwan Is Worried
Taiwan and China have not had a good relationship for a long time. China thinks Taiwan belongs to them, but Taiwan wants to stay independent. Because of this, always watches China’s military closely.
One of the Chinese fighter jets, called the J-10C, was used by Pakistan during this operation. That same jet is also used by China’s own air force. If this jet was really able to shoot down a Rafale jet, it might be a big problem for Taiwan in the future.
Taiwan’s Fighter Jets Are Getting Old
Taiwan mostly uses Mirage 2000 fighter jets, which they bought from France many years ago. These planes are good, but they are quite old now. A retired army officer from Taiwan, Mr. Shuai Huamin, said in an interview that Taiwan’s jets are not as good as the ones India has like Rafale, Su-30, and MiG-29.
So if a powerful jet like Rafale can be shot down by J-10C, then Taiwan’s jets might not stand a chance in a real fight.
China’s Influence Is Growing
China is becoming stronger in the Indo-Pacific region. It is helping countries like Pakistan by giving them weapons and jets. If Pakistan can shoot down advanced jets with China’s help, then it shows that China’s military is becoming more powerful.
Many experts think China is using these kinds of stories to scare or test other countries, especially Taiwan, to see how they react.
What Is Taiwan Doing About It?
After hearing all this, Taiwan has started to think more seriously about its own defense. The government is talking about buying newer and better jets, like the F-35 from the USA or their own locally made jet called the Brave Eagle.
They also plan to spend more money to make their military stronger over the next few years. But getting new jets and training pilots takes time, and knows it needs to act fast.
Is the News True or Just a Rumor?
India hasn’t said anything about losing their jets. So some people believe that Pakistan might be spreading false news to make themselves look strong. But even if it’s not true, Taiwan is still taking it seriously. In the military world, even rumors can cause big reactions.
Taiwan is worried that China might do the same thing in the future—use allies or fake stories to test Taiwan’s defenses.
How Taiwan Is Preparing
To be ready for any future threat, Taiwan is:
- Doing joint military training with the USA
- Building more weapons at home
- Improving their radar and missile defense systems
But experts say that the most important thing is to have strong fighter jets and well-trained pilots.
Even if the story about the Rafale jet getting shot down isn’t true, Taiwan has learned something important. It has to stay alert and keep improving its military because the danger from China is very real.
This was a wake-up call for Taiwan to act fast and stay prepared in case of any real threats in the future.