Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te delivered a defiant speech this week as tensions across the Taiwan Strait intensified following China’s largest and most provocative military exercises to date near the self-governed island.
Lai’s remarks came just two days after the conclusion of large-scale Chinese military drills dubbed “Justice Mission 2025,” which saw the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fire dozens of rockets toward waters surrounding Taiwan and deploy a substantial number of warships and military aircraft close to the island. The exercises, widely viewed as a show of force, triggered alarm among Western allies, including the European Commission and the United Kingdom, both of which warned of rising risks to regional stability.
Taipei strongly condemned the drills, describing them as a grave threat to regional security and a blatant provocation. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said the exercises undermined peace in the Indo-Pacific and demonstrated Beijing’s increasing willingness to use military pressure to advance its political objectives.
Beijing announced late Wednesday that the drills had been successfully completed. In an official statement, China’s military said it would continue to strengthen its combat readiness, adding that the exercises were necessary to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The military manoeuvres coincided with sharp rhetoric from Chinese President Xi Jinping, who reiterated Beijing’s long-standing position on Taiwan in his New Year’s address. Xi repeated last year’s warning to what China calls “separatist forces,” stating that China’s “reunification” with Taiwan “cannot be stopped.” The remarks reinforced Beijing’s stance that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, despite the island’s decades-long self-rule and democratic governance.
According to Taiwanese officials, the drills were unprecedented in both scale and proximity. They covered the largest geographical area yet and brought Chinese naval and air assets closer to Taiwan than in previous exercises. As a result, Taiwan was forced to cancel dozens of domestic commercial flights due to airspace disruptions, while its military scrambled fighter jets and dispatched warships to closely monitor PLA movements.
Residents in several parts of Taiwan reported increased military activity, including frequent aircraft patrols and heightened air-raid readiness alerts. While no direct confrontation occurred, defense analysts said the drills significantly raised the risk of miscalculation in an already volatile environment.
Notably, the PLA stated for the first time that the exercises were explicitly aimed at deterring “outside intervention.” This marked a shift in China’s public messaging and was widely interpreted as a direct warning to the United States and its allies, who have increased diplomatic and military engagement with Taiwan in recent years.
The drills began just 11 days after Washington announced a record US$11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan, the largest single tranche approved to date. The package includes advanced missile systems, air defense equipment, and surveillance capabilities intended to bolster Taiwan’s ability to deter aggression. China has repeatedly denounced such arms sales, arguing they violate its sovereignty and embolden pro-independence forces in Taipei.
Western governments expressed concern over the timing and scale of the exercises. The European Commission urged all parties to exercise restraint, while Britain said China’s actions risked destabilizing one of the world’s most critical trade corridors.
Despite the rising tensions, Taiwanese officials reiterated their commitment to maintaining the status quo. President Lai emphasized that Taiwan seeks peace but will not yield to intimidation, underscoring the island’s determination to defend its democratic system and way of life.
As military pressure mounts and diplomatic rhetoric hardens, analysts warn that the Taiwan Strait remains one of the most dangerous flashpoints in global geopolitics, with consequences that could reverberate far beyond the region.
