China Conducts Live-Fire Military Drills Around Taiwan
China launched large-scale live-fire military exercises around Taiwan on Monday, deploying troops, warships, fighter jets, and artillery in what the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) calls “Justice Mission 2025” drills.
The Eastern Theatre Command concentrated forces north and southwest of the Taiwan Strait, carrying out simulated strikes on land and maritime targets. Drills are set to continue Tuesday, including exercises to blockade Taiwan’s main ports and encircle the island.
According to a senior Taiwan security official, dozens of Chinese military ships and aircraft operated near Taiwan, some deliberately closing in on its 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone.
This marks the sixth major PLA exercise around Taiwan since 2022 and follows heightened Chinese rhetoric over Beijing’s territorial claims. The drills come 11 days after the U.S. approved $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, the largest package in history, prompting Beijing to warn of “forceful measures.
Taiwan condemned the exercises and posted a video demonstrating U.S.-made HIMARS rocket systems capable of striking China’s coastal targets, highlighting its readiness to defend the island. The island’s coast guard also deployed large vessels to protect maritime routes and fishing areas.
Taiwan’s aviation authority reported China had designated a temporary danger zone in Taipei’s airspace for ten hours of live-fire drills. Taiwan’s military remains on high alert and has begun rapid response exercises to ensure swift troop movement if the drills escalate into an attack.
“This serves as a serious warning to ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces and external interference forces,” said Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theatre Command.
