China has surrounded Taiwan with warships, fighter jets, drones, and artillery in its largest military exercises on record, dubbed “Justice Mission 2025.” The drills include live-fire strikes, port blockades, and coordinated operations across seven maritime zones encircling Taiwan.
Chinese officials described the exercises as a “stern warning” against separatism and foreign interference. The move follows the U.S. approval of an $11.1 billion weapons sale to Taiwan, the largest on record, and a statement by Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that Japan’s military could intervene if China acted against Taiwan.
Drills conducted on Monday by the People’s Liberation Army around #Taiwan were staged closer to the island than the 2022 exercises that followed a provocative visit to Taiwan by a senior US politician, an expert has said. #PLA https://t.co/mXd4lL5d3U pic.twitter.com/dgJBy29Xj1
— China Daily (@ChinaDaily) December 29, 2025
The drills announced Monday will focus on training in precision strikes, combat readiness, and “systemic” blockade and control and “deterrence outside the island chain,” according to Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command.
China Coast Guard also said it was launching patrols in waters around Taiwan.
As of 3 p.m. local time Monday, 14 People’s Liberation Army warships and 14 Chinese Coast Guard vessels had been detected around Taiwan and its outlying islands, according to Lt. Gen. Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence at Taiwan’s defense ministry.
An “amphibious assault strike group” of four ships was also detected in southeastern Taiwan waters, along with 89 warplanes in the skies around the island. However, Hsieh said no warplanes or warships had entered Taiwan’s territorial waters or airspace so far.
The exercises, continuing through Tuesday, have already disrupted civilian air and sea traffic, forcing airlines to reroute flights and prompting Taiwan to plan alternative airspace corridors. Taiwan’s aviation authority said over 100,000 international passengers would be affected by flight cancellations or diversions.
Taiwan’s government condemned the drills, accusing China of “military intimidation.”
Its defense ministry said it was “fully on guard” and would “take concrete action to defend the values of democracy and freedom.”
In response to today’s #PLA aircraft and naval activity, the #ROCArmedForces conducted Rapid Response Exercises and closely monitored the situation. Joint sea and air operations with all services and the Taiwan Coast Guard remain on high alert. #FullAwareness pic.twitter.com/urRlOh4cUL
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) December 29, 2025
