The Presidential Office in Taiwan today condemned China’s latest military actions as destabilizing, after the Chinese military deployed army, navy, air force and rocket force units around Taiwan as part of its “Justice Mission 2025” exercises.
China’s Eastern Theater Command said the drills were aimed at testing combat readiness and issuing a “stern warning” against moves toward Taiwan independence. The command added that forces were concentrated to the north and southwest of the Taiwan Strait, with live-fire exercises and simulated strikes carried out against land and maritime targets.
A map released by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army showed multiple designated drill zones surrounding Taiwan. The military said the exercises would continue tomorrow and would include simulated blockades of major ports and operations to encircle the island.
According to the Eastern Theater Command, tomorrow’s drills will also involve live-fire exercises, with sea and airspace restrictions imposed in five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting at 8:30am.
A senior Taiwanese security official told Reuters that dozens of Chinese warships and military aircraft were operating around Taiwan, with some deliberately closing in on the nation’s contiguous zone, defined as 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the coast.
This marks the sixth major round of Chinese military exercises around Taiwan since 2022, following a period of intensified pressure after a visit that year by then US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi. The latest drills also come amid increasingly sharp rhetoric from Beijing over its territorial claims.
Eastern Theater Command spokesperson Shi Yi said the exercises were intended to serve as a “serious warning” to Taiwan independence forces and external actors. He said the drills focused on maritime and aerial patrols, integrated control operations, sealing off key ports and areas, and conducting multi-dimensional deterrence operations.
Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo urged Beijing to exercise rationality and restraint, saying China’s actions seriously undermined peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the wider Indo-Pacific region, while also challenging international law and the existing international order.
Kuo said Taiwan’s military and national security agencies had full prior knowledge of the situation and had made comprehensive preparations to ensure public safety.
The Ministry of National Defense said it had established a response center and deployed forces to closely monitor and respond to the Chinese exercises. The ministry added that the drills once again demonstrated that Beijing posed the greatest threat to peace in the region, underscoring the need for Taiwan to accelerate the strengthening of its defense and deterrence capabilities.
While China conducted similar port blockade drills around Taiwan last year, this is the first time the PLA has publicly stated that such exercises are aimed at deterring potential foreign military intervention.
The drills began 11 days after the United States announced a US$11.1 billion arms sale package to Taiwan, the largest in the nation’s history. Beijing had strongly protested the deal and warned it would take “forceful measures” in response.
Alongside the exercises, the Chinese military also released a poster titled “Shields of Justice: Smashing Illusions,” featuring PLA insignia, military aircraft and naval vessels, reinforcing the messaging surrounding the drills.
