China launched large-scale military exercises around Taiwan on Monday, deploying warships, fighter jets, artillery and ground troops in a show of force that drew a swift response from the democratically governed island.
The drills, dubbed “Justice Mission 2025,” are being carried out by the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command. Chinese forces have been concentrated to the north and southwest of the Taiwan Strait, where they conducted live-fire exercises and simulated strikes against land and maritime targets. The command said the drills would continue on Tuesday and include rehearsals to blockade Taiwan’s main ports and encircle the island.
A woman works in a noodle store near a television screen showing a news report on China’s “Justice Mission 2025” military drills around Taiwan, in Taipei, Taiwan, December 29, 2025. REUTERS/Tsai Hsin-Han TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
A senior Taiwanese security official told Reuters that dozens of Chinese military vessels and aircraft were operating around Taiwan, with some “deliberately closing in” on the island’s contiguous zone, which extends 24 nautical miles from its coast.
Taiwan Mobilizes Forces and Condemns Drills
Taiwan’s government strongly condemned the exercises and moved to mobilize its military. The defense ministry said it was on high alert and ready to carry out “rapid response exercises,” designed to move troops quickly if Beijing were to turn drills into a real attack.
Smoke rises from a weapon on a ship after it was fired during drills east of Taiwan, in this screenshot from a video released by the Eastern Theatre Command of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on December 29, 2025. Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
“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.
The defense ministry also released a video showcasing various weapons, including U.S.-made HIMARS rocket systems, a highly mobile artillery platform capable of striking targets up to 300 km away, including coastal areas of China’s Fujian province across the strait.
Taiwan’s coast guard said it had dispatched large vessels in response to Chinese coast guard activity near its waters and was working with the military to limit disruptions to shipping lanes and fishing areas. The island’s aviation authority added that China had designated a “temporary danger zone” in Taipei’s airspace for 10 hours of live-fire drills scheduled for Tuesday, prompting efforts to reroute flights.
A woman works in a noodle store near a television screen showing a news report on China’s “Justice Mission 2025” military drills around Taiwan, in Taipei, Taiwan, December 29, 2025. REUTERS/Tsai Hsin-Han
Sixth Major Exercise Since 2022
The latest drills mark China’s sixth major round of war games around Taiwan since 2022, when then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island. They follow heightened Chinese rhetoric after Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that a hypothetical attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
The exercises also come just 11 days after the United States announced $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, the largest weapons package ever approved for the island. China’s defense ministry protested the sale and warned the military would take “forceful measures” in response.
Analysts say Beijing’s increasingly frequent and complex drills are blurring the line between routine military training and preparations for an actual attack, potentially reducing warning time for the United States and its allies.
Beijing Signals Deterrence Message
Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the Eastern Theatre Command, said the drills were a “serious warning” to pro-independence forces in Taiwan and to what Beijing calls external interference.
Chinese state media said the exercises would focus on sealing off Taiwan’s key ports, including Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south. While port blockades have featured in previous drills, this is the first time the PLA has publicly described the exercises as aimed at deterring foreign military intervention.
The Chinese military also released a series of posters following the drill announcement, depicting targets locked across Taiwan and warning of severe consequences for separatist forces and foreign involvement.
Public Reaction in Taiwan
Despite the military tensions, Taiwan’s stock market rose 0.8% to a record high in morning trading. Some residents in Taipei downplayed the immediate impact of the drills.
“I think these drills are just meant to scare us,” said Lin Wei-ming, a 31-year-old teacher. “Similar drills have happened before.”
Others stressed the divide between Beijing’s claims and public opinion on the island. “They just want to save face by claiming Taiwan as part of their own country, but Taiwanese people don’t see it that way,” said Stephanie Huang, a 56-year-old interior designer.
Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claims, maintaining that only the island’s people can decide their future.
