China-Taiwan tensions are rising. According to reports, Beijing has launched extensive live-fire military drills around Taiwan, simulating the blockade of key ports, attacking maritime targets, and practicing responses to international “interference.” The maneuvers, named Justice Mission 2025, are intended as a warning to what Beijing calls “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.
PLA Mobilizes Naval, Air, and Rocket Forces
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the military wing of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), deployed naval, air force, and rocket units to encircle Taiwan on Monday morning. Chinese coast guard vessels also conducted “law enforcement inspections” around Taiwan’s outer islands.
Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the PLA’s eastern theatre command, described the exercise as “a stern warning against ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external interference forces.” He added, “It is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity.”
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Taiwan Condemns Escalation
Taiwan’s defence ministry accused Beijing of escalating regional tensions, calling the drills an attempt to undermine peace. The ministry said it dispatched “appropriate forces” to respond and conduct counter combat-readiness exercises.
“Defending democracy and freedom is no provocation, and the existence of the Republic of China [Taiwan’s formal name] is not an excuse for aggressors to disrupt the status quo,” the ministry said.
China-Taiwan Conflict
China claims Taiwan as a Chinese province and has been preparing for potential annexation. The country is undergoing a major military modernisation aimed at enabling a possible invasion by 2027, according to previous US intelligence reports.
President Xi Jinping and the CCP have promoted the idea of “peaceful reunification”, though their approach combines incentives with coercive measures, increasingly intensified in recent years. However, most of Taiwan’s parliament and its citizens reject CCP rule.
What Is Justice Mission 2025?
Justice Mission 2025 is the sixth major PLA exercise targeting Taiwan since 2022, following operations like Strait Thunder-2025A in April. Taiwanese security officials had anticipated such large-scale drills, particularly in response to Japan’s increasing rhetoric, said Yang.
He added that Beijing would carefully gauge U.S. reactions to these drills while planning the PLA’s next operations.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
