China Launches Massive Military Drills Around Taiwan Island

Hong Kong – 29 December 2025: China’s military has dispatched air, naval, and rocket forces to conduct large-scale joint drills around Taiwan, a move Beijing described as a “stern warning” against separatist forces and foreign interference.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry stated that its forces are on high alert, conducting rapid response and combat readiness exercises. Officials condemned China’s operations as aggressive and destabilizing, calling Beijing “the biggest destroyer of peace.”

The drills follow tensions over recent U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about potential military involvement if China acts against the island. However, China’s military statement did not directly mention the U.S. or Japan.

Senior Colonel Shi Yi of China’s Eastern Theater Command said the exercises cover the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast, and east of the island. The drills will focus on sea-air combat readiness, joint superiority operations, blockades of key ports, and precision strikes on mobile ground targets.

“The operation is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity,” Shi said.

The exercises, running from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, include live firing drills and the coordinated use of fighters, bombers, UAVs, and long-range rockets. The command also released thematic posters online highlighting the drills as the “Shield of Justice, Smashing Illusion.”

Beijing recently imposed sanctions on 20 U.S. defense companies and 10 executives following Washington’s announcement of over $10 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, which, if approved by Congress, would be the largest in history.

Karen Kuo, spokesperson for the Taiwanese president, criticized China’s military moves as violations of international norms that threaten regional stability. Taiwan has also accelerated the development of its “Taiwan Shield” air defense system in response to China’s growing military pressure.

The tensions come amid calls for peace, with Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an emphasizing the need for the Taiwan Strait to symbolize stability and prosperity rather than conflict.