China pressed ahead with a second day of large-scale live-fire military drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, intensifying pressure on the self-ruled island in exercises that Beijing says are designed to rehearse a blockade of key ports and strikes on maritime targets.
The two-day manoeuvres, code-named “Justice Mission 2025,” began on Monday and have drawn sharp condemnation from Taipei, which accused Beijing of using military intimidation to destabilise the region and undermine peace across the Taiwan Strait.
Early on Tuesday morning, activity was visible from Pingtan, a Chinese island off Fujian province that lies at the closest point to Taiwan’s main island. At around 9am, a series of rockets were launched in quick succession, streaking across the sky and leaving thick white trails behind them. The launches produced loud detonations that echoed across the island, drawing crowds of tourists who rushed toward seaside viewing points to film the spectacle on their phones.
Shortly after the launches, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command confirmed it had carried out long-range live-fire drills in waters north of Taiwan. In a statement, the PLA said the exercises had achieved their “desired effects,” without providing further operational details.
China claims Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory and has repeatedly refused to renounce the use of force to bring the island under its control. The latest drills come amid heightened tensions following recent United States arms sales to Taipei and remarks by Japan’s prime minister suggesting that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
Beijing has reacted angrily to what it sees as growing external support for Taiwan. On Monday, Chinese officials warned that “external forces” arming the island were pushing the Taiwan Strait toward a “perilous situation of imminent war,” though no country was named directly. Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said efforts to block China’s reunification with Taiwan were “doomed to fail.”
According to the PLA, the exercises involve coordinated operations by China’s army, navy, air force and rocket force. Military spokesman Shi Yi said the drills focus on combat readiness patrols, blockades of critical ports and areas, and “all-dimensional deterrence” beyond the island chain. He described the manoeuvres as a warning to what Beijing calls “Taiwan Independence” forces and as a necessary step to safeguard national sovereignty and unity.
Chinese authorities released a map marking five large zones surrounding Taiwan where the drills were taking place, including areas to the north, southwest and east of the island. The exercises are scheduled to conclude at 6pm on Tuesday.
Taipei has responded with alarm, noting that several of the designated exercise zones fall within 12 nautical miles of Taiwan’s coastline — a distance typically considered territorial waters under international norms. Taiwan’s government said the drills have disrupted international shipping lanes and aviation routes, raising concerns about regional safety and stability.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s disregard for international norms and its use of military intimidation threaten not only Taiwan but neighbouring countries as well,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo said in a statement.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said it detected a surge in Chinese military activity on Monday, including 89 PLA aircraft operating near the island — the highest daily total recorded since October 2024 — along with 28 naval and coast guard vessels. Taiwanese forces have been placed on heightened alert, though officials said they were responding calmly and professionally.
In a strongly worded statement, the defence ministry accused China’s ruling party of acting as an aggressor and eroding regional peace. “These actions once again confirm the nature of the Chinese Communist Party as the greatest destroyer of peace and stability in the region,” it said.
Adding to the political messaging, China’s military released a promotional poster depicting fiery “arrows of justice” raining down on an outline of Taiwan, a piece of imagery that underscored Beijing’s intent to pair military action with psychological pressure.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that a central theme of the exercises was rehearsing a blockade of Taiwan’s most vital ports, including Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south — facilities crucial to the island’s trade-dependent economy and energy supplies.
China last conducted major live-fire drills around Taiwan in April, in surprise manoeuvres that were also condemned by Taipei and criticised by several Western governments. Since then, tensions have continued to simmer, fuelled by deepening US-Taiwan defence ties.
Earlier this month, Beijing vowed to take “resolute and forceful measures” after Taiwan announced that Washington had approved a major arms package worth about US$11 billion. Last week, China announced sanctions against 20 US defence companies, though analysts noted the move was largely symbolic, as most have little exposure to the Chinese market.
On Monday afternoon, reporters in Pingtan observed additional signs of military activity, including fighter jets flying overhead and a Chinese naval vessel operating offshore, reinforcing the sense that Beijing’s show of force was not merely symbolic but operationally significant.
As the drills draw to a close, regional observers are watching closely for signs of escalation, while Taiwan and its partners warn that sustained military pressure risks miscalculation in one of the world’s most sensitive geopolitical flashpoints.
