TAIPEI (Realist English). China has launched a new round of large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, deploying army, naval, air force and artillery units in what it calls the “Justice Mission 2025” drills, prompting Taipei to place its forces on high alert and rehearse rapid-response scenarios against a potential attack.
China’s Eastern Theatre Command said the exercises began on Monday and would include live-fire drills on Tuesday. The military published graphics showing five zones surrounding the island where sea and airspace restrictions would be imposed for 10 hours from 8 a.m. local time.
The drills mark Beijing’s sixth major round of war games around Taiwan since 2022, when a visit by then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi triggered an unprecedented escalation. They also follow heightened rhetoric over China’s territorial claims, including recent remarks by Japanese leaders suggesting a Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a military response from Tokyo.
The latest exercises come just 11 days after Washington announced $11.1 billion in new arms sales to Taiwan — the largest such package to date — drawing sharp protests from Beijing and warnings from China’s defence ministry that the military would “take forceful measures” in response.
Chinese forces involved in the drills include fighter jets, bombers, drones and long-range rocket systems, according to the Eastern Theatre Command. The PLA said it would rehearse strikes on mobile land-based targets while simulating a coordinated, multi-directional assault on the island.
“This serves as a serious warning to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external interference,” said Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the command.
Taiwan’s government condemned the exercises, urging Beijing not to misjudge the situation or undermine regional stability. The defence ministry said it had detected Chinese aircraft and warships operating around the island over the past 24 hours and confirmed that Taiwan’s military was conducting “rapid response exercises” designed to counter a sudden shift from drills to real operations.
“All members of our armed forces will remain highly vigilant and fully on guard, taking concrete action to defend the values of democracy and freedom,” the ministry said.
A senior Taiwanese security official told Reuters that dozens of Chinese ships and aircraft were active near the island, with some deliberately closing in on Taiwan’s contiguous zone, within 24 nautical miles of the coast. Taiwan’s coast guard said it had dispatched large patrol vessels in response to Chinese coast guard activity and was coordinating with the military to limit disruption to shipping lanes and fishing areas.
Despite the show of force, Taiwan’s stock market rose 0.6% to a record high in morning trading, suggesting limited immediate economic impact.
Chinese state media said the drills would focus on sealing off key ports, including Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south, Taiwan’s largest port city. Beijing also released propaganda posters depicting blockades, missile strikes and civilian vessels that analysts say resemble ships used in amphibious operations, signalling China’s ability to mobilise civilian assets in a conflict.
The exercises are the first in which the PLA has explicitly described its operations around Taiwan as aimed at deterring foreign military intervention, analysts noted, further blurring the line between routine training and preparations for a real contingency.
Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claim of sovereignty over the island, maintaining that only its people have the right to decide their future. As tensions rise across the Taiwan Strait, the drills underscore growing concern among regional actors that military pressure is becoming a permanent feature of China’s strategy rather than a temporary signal.
