World

China Launches Major Military Drills Around Taiwan

4:47 pm - December 29, 2025
World

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), front row second from left, poses with other military officers after promoting to generals, back row, from left, Yang Zhibin of the Eastern Theater Command and Han Shengyan commander of Central Theater Command in Beijing on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025.

BEIJING : Tensions in the Indo-Pacific have reached a new flashpoint as China’s military dispatched air, navy, and rocket troops on Monday to conduct expansive joint exercises surrounding the island of Taiwan.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command characterized the operation as a “stern warning” against what it calls separatist forces and “external interference.” In response, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry placed its forces on high alert, branding the Chinese government “the biggest destroyer of peace.”

Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command, confirmed that the drills cover areas to the north, south, and east of the island. For the first time, the command publicly stated that a primary goal is “all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain.”

The exercises involve:

Sea-air combat readiness patrols.

Joint seizure of “comprehensive superiority.”

Simulated blockades of key Taiwanese ports.

Precision strikes on mobile ground targets.

The military activity is set to intensify on Tuesday. The PLA announced live-firing activities between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM across five designated zones surrounding the island. This follows a provocative social media campaign by Beijing featuring “Shield of Justice” posters, threatening to “eliminate” any foreign interlopers.

A low-cost autonomous cruise missile Barracuda 500, jointly manufactured by US Anduril and Taiwan”s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology,during the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE) at Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei.

The drills come on the heels of a massive $10 billion US arms sale to Taiwan and comments from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting potential Japanese military involvement should China take action against the self-governing island.

Taiwanese Presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo condemned the move, stating the operations openly challenge international law and undermine the stability of the Indo-Pacific region.