The government of China has sharply increased tensions in the Taiwan Strait after announcing a new round of large-scale military drills around the island, involving ground, naval, air, and missile forces.

The move, confirmed by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), deepens confrontation in one of the world’s most sensitive geopolitical flashpoints.

According to the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command, the exercises—named Joint Mission Justice-2025—aim to approach Taiwan “from multiple directions” and deliver a “serious warning” to both the island’s authorities and foreign powers supporting Taipei.

The statement, released via the command’s official WeChat account, explicitly targeted what Beijing calls “separatist forces” and “external interference.”

The drills include joint maritime and aerial combat patrols, simulations focused on controlling the operational environment, port blockade exercises, and three-dimensional deterrence operations combining land, sea, and air capabilities.

Chinese military officials also confirmed that live-fire activities will take place on Tuesday, significantly raising the risk level in a region crossed by some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

Maneuvers and exercises in dangerous areas of Taiwan

The exercises began on Monday and are unfolding across multiple areas surrounding the island, including sections of the Taiwan Strait and air and maritime zones to the north, east, southeast, and southwest of the territory. 

Although China has not disclosed how long the drills will last or how many troops are involved, their geographic scope has sparked renewed international concern about the possibility of military incidents.

Beijing has described the operation as a “legitimate and necessary” measure to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

Under President Xi Jinping, China has consistently asserted that Taiwan is an inseparable part of its territory and has refused to rule out the use of force to achieve reunification.

Taipei, however, views these maneuvers as part of a broader strategy of military coercion aimed at intimidating the population, wearing down its defenses, and altering the regional status quo without triggering full-scale war.

Taiwanese officials emphasize that the island has governed itself democratically since 1949, with its own political system and armed forces.

The escalation comes amid closer security ties between Taiwan and the United States. In recent weeks, Washington has moved forward with measures to deepen military cooperation and advance the sale of defensive weapons to the island. 

Prime Minister Takaichi recently stated that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could pose an existential threat to Japan, potentially justifying the involvement of its Self-Defense Forces. Beijing condemned those remarks as interference in its internal affairs.

Taiwanese authorities had already warned of heightened Chinese military activity toward the end of the year. Earlier this month, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau Director Tsai Ming-yen said it was “not unlikely” that the PLA would conduct major drills around the island, following established annual patterns.Japan has also been drawn into the growing tension.