Beijing: China has launched large-scale live-fire military drills around Taiwan, sharply escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait and drawing swift condemnation from Taipei.
The People’s Liberation Army said it deployed naval, air force, and rocket units to encircle Taiwan as part of an exercise named Justice Mission 2025. Chinese coast guard vessels were also sent to waters around the island to carry out what Beijing described as law enforcement inspections.
A spokesperson for the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command said the drills were intended as a firm warning to forces advocating Taiwan independence and to what China calls external interference. The action, the spokesperson added, was aimed at safeguarding China’s sovereignty and national unity.
Taiwan Condemns Move
Taiwan’s defence ministry accused Beijing of deliberately raising tensions and undermining regional stability. It said Taiwan had dispatched appropriate forces to monitor the situation and carry out counter-combat readiness drills.
The ministry stressed that defending democracy and freedom does not amount to provocation and said Taiwan’s existence cannot be used to justify attempts to change the status quo by force.
Taiwan’s coast guard also raised concerns, warning that the scale of the drills posed a serious threat to navigation and to the safety and operational rights of fishermen in surrounding waters.
We strongly condemn the PRC’s irrational provocations and oppose the PLA’s actions that undermine regional peace.
Rapid Response Exercises are underway, with forces on high alert to defend the Republic of China and protect our people.#ROCArmedForces#PeaceThroughStrength pic.twitter.com/4s10nfLO6D— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) December 29, 2025
Wider Context of Rising Tensions
China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has repeatedly stated it will not rule out using force to bring the island under its control. Beijing is in the midst of a sweeping military modernisation drive, with US intelligence assessments previously suggesting it aims to be capable of launching an invasion by 2027.
While Chinese leaders continue to promote peaceful reunification, pressure on Taiwan has intensified through military activity, economic coercion, and diplomatic isolation. Taiwan’s government and the majority of its population reject rule by the Chinese Communist Party and have stepped up efforts to strengthen the island’s defences.
The latest drills come after weeks of strained relations between China and Japan, following remarks by Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting Tokyo could become militarily involved if China attacked Taiwan. They also follow the US approval of weapons sales worth around $11 billion to Taiwan, and recent speeches by Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te pledging to boost defence readiness by 2027. All of these developments have drawn strong reactions from Beijing.
Chinese PLA Eastern Theater Command is conducting live-fire training in the waters and airspace to the north and southwest of the Taiwan Island
Destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers and UAVs are being employed in coordination with long-range rocket fires https://t.co/erCMWRmtB6 pic.twitter.com/SrpT217Vfs— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) December 29, 2025
Scale and Signals of the Exercise
China’s Eastern Theatre Command said its forces would approach Taiwan from multiple directions to test rapid manoeuvres, coordinated operations, and the ability to impose a comprehensive blockade. Maps released by the PLA showed several restricted air and maritime zones, some closer to Taiwan than in past drills.
The PLA said it had deployed destroyers, frigates, fighter jets, bombers, drones, and long-range missiles, practising joint sea-air operations and precision strikes, including anti-submarine warfare.
Justice Mission 2025 marks the sixth major Chinese military exercise targeting Taiwan since 2022 and the first since April.
