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China launched extensive military exercises around Taiwan on Monday, deploying joint forces from the army, navy, air force and rocket force in operations dubbed Justice Mission 2025. The People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command announced the drills involve an encirclement of Taiwan across five areas, with at least 89 warplanes and 28 warships spotted on the first day. The exercises include sea-air combat readiness patrols, joint seizure activities, and practice blockades of key ports and island zones.
The PLA released an unusual video showcasing advanced weaponry including missile-firing drones, underwater and surface attack drones, swarms of small attack drones, and robot soldiers armed with rifles. The drills were launched amid rising tensions with Japan following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s statements about defending Taiwan and an $11 billion U.S. arms sale to Taiwan that Beijing condemned as supporting separatist forces.
President Trump downplayed concerns about the exercises, stating he has a great relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping and doesn’t believe Xi will launch a military assault. Trump noted that China has been conducting naval exercises in the area for 20 years, some larger than current operations. The Trump administration has recently scaled back criticism of China while pursuing a trade deal with Beijing.
For the first time since August 2022, China’s military said the exercise includes “all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain,” referencing expected Japanese and U.S. military responses to a Chinese assault. The drills involved bombers, amphibious assault ships, anti-ship missiles, and live weapons firing across expanded zones inside and outside the island chain stretching from Japan through Taiwan into the South China Sea.
Taiwan strongly condemned the exercises as irrational provocations and launched rapid response exercises with forces on high alert. The island’s Defense Ministry released videos showing U.S.-made F-16s and warships patrolling waters around Taiwan, calling China “the greatest destroyer of peace” and emphasizing the need for comprehensive deterrent defense capabilities.
Defense experts noted the presence of a Type 075 amphibious assault ship indicates preparation beyond blockade scenarios. The Pentagon’s latest report states China is making steady progress toward its 2027 goal of achieving a “strategic decisive victory” over Taiwan, with PLA intrusions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone increasing from 1,641 in 2023 to 3,067 in 2024. Chinese state media quoted a National Defense University professor saying the exercises simulated “decapitation” strikes against Taiwan independence leaders.
Read more: China sends message to Japan, U.S. with massive military drills encircling Taiwan
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