China Stages Record Drills Designed to Encircle Taiwan
12/29/2025 12:30:00 PM
China launched its most extensive war games around Taiwan on Monday to showcase Beijing's ability to cut off the island from outside support in a conflict, testing Taipei's resolve to defend itself and its arsenal of U.S.-made weapons.
The Eastern Theatre Command said it had deployed troops, warships, fighter jets and artillery for its "Justice Mission 2025" exercises to encircle the democratically governed island, conduct live fire and simulated strikes on land and sea targets, and drills to blockade Taiwan's main ports.
The live-firing exercises will continue on Tuesday across a record seven zones designated by China's Maritime Safety Administration, making the drills the largest to date by total coverage and in areas closer to Taiwan than previous exercises. The military had initially said artillery firing would be confined to five zones.
Taiwan's Defence Ministry said there was also an extra zone for a two-hour drill on Monday morning, which took place without a Chinese announcement in the eastern waters of the island.
The Transport Ministry said more than 100,000 passengers on scheduled international flights will be affected by Tuesday's drills, while around 80 domestic flights are set to be cancelled.
China's sixth major round of war games since 2022, after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the democratically governed island, follows stronger rhetoric promoting Beijing's territorial claims in response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
Taiwan rejects China's claimed sovereignty, maintaining that only its people can decide the island's future.
"Our armed forces operate on the principle of preparing for the worst and must take every possible scenario into account," Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence at Taiwan's defence ministry, told reporters, when asked about Tuesday's drills.
"Conducting live-fire exercises around the Taiwan Strait ... would not only constitute military pressure on us, but could also pose more complex challenges and impacts for the international community and neighbouring countries."
The Eastern Theatre Command said it had deployed troops, warships, fighter jets and artillery for its "Justice Mission 2025" exercises to encircle the democratically governed island, conduct live fire and simulated strikes on land and sea targets, and drills to blockade Taiwan's main ports.
The live-firing exercises will continue on Tuesday across a record seven zones designated by China's Maritime Safety Administration, making the drills the largest to date by total coverage and in areas closer to Taiwan than previous exercises. The military had initially said artillery firing would be confined to five zones.
Taiwan's Defence Ministry said there was also an extra zone for a two-hour drill on Monday morning, which took place without a Chinese announcement in the eastern waters of the island.
The Transport Ministry said more than 100,000 passengers on scheduled international flights will be affected by Tuesday's drills, while around 80 domestic flights are set to be cancelled.
China's sixth major round of war games since 2022, after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the democratically governed island, follows stronger rhetoric promoting Beijing's territorial claims in response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
Taiwan rejects China's claimed sovereignty, maintaining that only its people can decide the island's future.
"Our armed forces operate on the principle of preparing for the worst and must take every possible scenario into account," Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence at Taiwan's defence ministry, told reporters, when asked about Tuesday's drills.
"Conducting live-fire exercises around the Taiwan Strait ... would not only constitute military pressure on us, but could also pose more complex challenges and impacts for the international community and neighbouring countries."