China has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan with a sweeping series of live-fire drills, deploying air, navy, and rocket forces in a show of force that has reverberated across the region and beyond. On December 29, 2025, the Chinese military kicked off exercises codenamed "Justice Mission 2025," simulating the seizure and blockade of Taiwan’s key areas. The drills, which continued into December 30, marked the sixth major round of such war games since 2022, and came just days after the United States announced a record $11.1 billion arms package for the self-ruled island.
According to Reuters, Taiwan’s defense ministry detected at least 14 Chinese naval vessels, 14 coast guard ships, and 89 aircraft on the first day of the drills, with 67 of those aircraft entering Taiwan’s air defense identification zones. By the end of the day, Taiwan’s officials reported that two Chinese military aircraft and 11 ships were still operating around the island, and that its own forces remained on high alert, conducting rapid response exercises to repel any potential attack.
The exercises prompted Taiwan to scramble soldiers and military hardware, rehearsing defensive maneuvers in the face of what many on the island saw as an intimidation campaign. The drills also had immediate civilian consequences: Taiwan’s transport ministry announced that more than 100,000 international air passengers and about 6,000 domestic travelers would be affected by flight diversions as Chinese forces established a "temporary danger zone" in Taipei’s airspace. Port authorities warned commercial ships to steer clear of Chinese drill zones, though they did not expect major disruptions to trade.
Beijing’s motives for the show of force were bluntly stated. The Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) described the exercise as a "serious warning to ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces and external interference forces," as reported by Al Jazeera. The drills were also a direct response to the U.S. arms deal and to recent remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who suggested Japan’s military could intervene if China attacked Taiwan. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian warned, "Any sinister schemes to obstruct China’s reunification are doomed to fail," and accused pro-independence forces in Taiwan of turning the island into a "powder keg."
In a statement, Taiwan’s presidential office condemned the drills, urging Beijing not to misjudge the situation and to immediately halt what it called irresponsible provocations. Minister of Transportation Chen Shih-kai echoed the sentiment, telling reporters, "We strongly protest and condemn their arrogant and unreasonable actions, which will inevitably affect the safety of our air and sea transportation." The defense ministry emphasized, "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 scale and sophistication of the Chinese maneuvers were notable. The PLA deployed fighter jets, bombers, unmanned aerial vehicles, and long-range rockets, practicing strikes on both land and maritime targets. According to the BBC, the drills explicitly simulated blockades of Taiwan’s main ports, including the vital deep-water Port of Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south, while encircling the island from multiple directions. The Chinese military said its vessels and aircraft would approach Taiwan "in close proximity from different directions" and that troops would "engage in joint assaults to test their joint operations capabilities."
For many observers, this latest round of war games signaled a marked escalation. William Yang, senior analyst for Northeast Asia at the Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera that the language used by Chinese officials was "very explicit about the goal of enhancing ‘anti-access’ and ‘area denial capabilities,’" sending a strong message to the U.S. and Japan that any attempt to intervene would be met with force. The exercises covered a larger area than in previous years and demonstrated the PLA’s ability to rapidly deploy diverse military assets to strategic positions, underscoring the modernization of China’s armed forces.
The timing of the drills was no coincidence. The U.S. arms package for Taiwan, the largest ever, drew immediate protest from Beijing, which responded by sanctioning 20 American defense companies and 10 executives, as reported by Reuters. Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stated that Taiwan’s "return to China" is central to Beijing’s vision of the global order, and the PLA’s readiness to use "non-peaceful means" is enshrined in Chinese law should the island move toward formal independence.
Taiwan, for its part, has not been idle. The defense ministry showcased U.S.-made HIMARS rocket systems—highly mobile artillery with a range of about 300 kilometers, capable of striking targets on China’s Fujian coast. The coastguard dispatched large ships to counter Chinese maritime activity, while aviation authorities scrambled to identify alternative flight routes. Taiwan’s own military exercises have grown in scale and frequency, with this year’s Han Kuang exercise described by the BBC as the largest and longest yet, designed to prepare both troops and civilians for the possibility of conflict.
On the political front, Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te has been vocal in his resolve to deter Beijing. In an interview with Sanli E-Television, Lai said, "If China sets 2027 as the year to be ready for an invasion of Taiwan, then we have only one choice: to keep raising the difficulty so that China can never meet that standard. Taiwan will naturally remain safe." Lai has also pledged to boost defense spending and develop a dome-like air defense system to guard against "hostile threats." Despite these preparations, Lai emphasized a commitment to maintaining the status quo and not provoking China, insisting that peace depends on "real strength."
Ordinary Taiwanese, meanwhile, have responded to the drills with a mix of defiance and pragmatism. "China’s goal is to keep the island, not the people," interior designer Stephanie Huang told Al Jazeera. "But Taiwanese people don’t see it that way – we are who we are, and they are who they are. The two sides of the Strait are completely insubordinate to each other. We are our own country." Teacher Lin Wei-Ming added, "As ordinary citizens, all we can do is take care of ourselves, do our jobs well and live our lives well."
Regional tensions have also spilled over into China’s relationship with Japan. After Prime Minister Takaichi’s remarks, Beijing issued heated protests and warned its citizens against travel to Japan. Earlier this month, diplomatic friction increased after Chinese fighter jets locked radars on Japanese aircraft, leading both sides to accuse each other of harassment during military exercises.
As the world watches, the latest Chinese drills around Taiwan have intensified an already volatile standoff, with the risk of miscalculation looming large. The stakes are high, and the actions of all parties in the coming weeks will be closely scrutinized by governments, militaries, and ordinary citizens alike.
