China launched a sweeping set of military drills encircling Taiwan on Monday, mobilising army, navy, air force, and rocket force units in what Beijing described as a high-intensity test of combat readiness and a “stern warning” against moves toward Taiwanese independence.
The exercises, code-named “Justice Mission 2025,” were announced by the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command and mark China’s sixth major round of war games around Taiwan since 2022, when a visit to the island by then–US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi triggered unprecedented Chinese military activity in the Taiwan Strait.
In a statement accompanied by a graphic map, the Eastern Theatre Command said the drills would extend across five designated zones surrounding Taiwan. Sea and airspace restrictions will be imposed for 10 hours from 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, during which live-fire exercises are scheduled to take place.
“These actions serve as a serious warning to ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces and external interference forces,” said Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the Eastern Theatre Command. “The exercise focuses on training for maritime and aerial combat readiness patrols, gaining integrated control, sealing off key ports and areas, and conducting multi-dimensional deterrence.”
The language used by the PLA underscores an increasingly explicit effort to link military manoeuvres not only to pressure on Taipei but also to deterrence against potential foreign intervention. While Chinese forces rehearsed port blockades and joint-firepower strikes during drills last year, this is the first time Beijing has publicly stated that exercises around Taiwan are aimed at deterring outside military involvement.
The military also released a propaganda poster titled “Shields of Justice: Smashing Illusions,” depicting two golden shields emblazoned with the insignia of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the Great Wall of China. The image features three military aircraft and two warships, symbolising what the PLA described as layered defensive and offensive capabilities safeguarding China’s territorial claims.
The drills come amid heightened rhetoric over Taiwan following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who recently suggested that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo. Beijing reacted sharply to those comments, reiterating that Taiwan is an internal matter and warning regional actors against involvement.
Tensions have also been fuelled by recent developments in US-Taiwan relations. The exercises began just 11 days after Washington announced a US$11.1 billion arms sales package to Taiwan—the largest weapons deal ever approved for the island. China’s defence ministry condemned the sale, accusing the United States of undermining regional stability and violating commitments to Beijing, and warned that the PLA would “take forceful measures” in response.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it was monitoring the situation but did not immediately respond to requests for detailed comment on Monday. In past instances, Taipei has condemned Chinese drills as destabilising and insisted its armed forces remain capable of defending the island and maintaining normal operations.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has never ruled out the use of force to achieve unification. Taiwan, a self-governed democracy of around 23 million people, rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and maintains close, though unofficial, ties with the United States and other regional partners.
Analysts say the scale and framing of the “Justice Mission 2025” drills reflect Beijing’s desire to normalise large-scale military pressure while signalling resolve to both Taipei and foreign governments. By explicitly linking the exercises to deterrence of external intervention, China appears to be sharpening its messaging amid an increasingly crowded and volatile security environment in the Indo-Pacific.
As live-fire activities begin and restrictions take effect around the island, regional militaries and commercial operators are expected to closely track developments, wary that each new round of drills further tightens the strategic contest over one of Asia’s most sensitive flashpoints.
