China launches live-fire military drills around Taiwan, simulating port blockade
China has launched live-fire military drills around Taiwan, simulating a blockade of major ports, attacks on maritime targets, and operations to counter international “interference,” in what Beijing describes as a warning to “Taiwan independence” forces.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said it deployed naval, air, and rocket units to surround Taiwan on Monday, with coast guard vessels conducting “law enforcement inspections” around the island’s outer territories. The exercise, named Justice Mission 2025, is the PLA’s first targeting Taiwan since April, News.Az reports, citing The Guardian.
Col. Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, called the exercise “a stern warning against ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external interference forces,” and said it was “a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity.”
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense strongly condemned the drill, accusing Beijing of escalating tensions and undermining regional peace. It said Taiwan dispatched “appropriate forces” and conducted counter combat-readiness exercises. “Defending democracy and freedom is no provocation, and the existence of the Republic of China is not an excuse for aggressors to disrupt the status quo,” the ministry said.
Taiwan’s coast guard warned that the drill posed a significant threat to navigational safety and the operational rights of fishermen.
China considers Taiwan a province and has been undergoing a large-scale military modernization aimed at enabling a possible invasion by 2027, according to past U.S. intelligence reports. Beijing has pushed for “peaceful reunification,” using a mix of incentives and coercion, while Taiwan continues to strengthen its military defenses.
The drills come amid rising tensions with Japan, following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that Japan could become militarily involved if China attacked Taiwan. They also follow U.S. approval of $11 billion in weapons sales to Taiwan, and recent statements by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te pledging a high level of combat readiness by 2027.
The PLA said its forces approached Taiwan from multiple directions to test rapid maneuvering, all-dimensional posture, and systemic blockade capabilities. The exercise involved destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers, drones, and long-range missiles, focusing on sea-air coordination, precision targeting, and neutralizing submarines and other maritime threats.
Analysts noted that the drill’s scale is larger than usual and appears closer to Taiwan’s main island, with some aircraft visible on radar—unusually transparent for the PLA. William Yang, senior North-East Asia analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the drills signal Beijing is publicly building anti-access/area denial capabilities.
Justice Mission 2025 is the sixth major PLA exercise targeting Taiwan since 2022, following drills in retaliation for former U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit and a two-day operation in April dubbed Strait Thunder-2025A. Analysts say Beijing is closely watching U.S. responses and adjusting its military operations accordingly.
The drills are the latest in a series of moves that have heightened regional tensions, underscoring the ongoing geopolitical stakes in the Taiwan Strait.
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