China’s military announced on Monday that it would mobilize its army, navy, air force and rocket forces around Taiwan for “large-scale military exercises” aimed at sending a “serious warning” against any movement for Taiwan’s independence or interference by “external” armed forces on the island.
The exercise, dubbed “Mission of Justice-2025,” will test combat readiness and “blockade and control of major ports and critical areas,” China’s Eastern Theater Command said. According to information released by the command, live fire operations will be carried out in five sea and air areas surrounding the island.
Taiwan’s government condemned the exercise, accusing China of “military intimidation,” while Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said it was on high alert and ready to conduct “rapid response exercises.”
The Chinese government is launching war games at a tense and sensitive time in the region.
China and Japan have been locked in a weeks-long diplomatic spat over the Japanese prime minister’s comments about Taiwan. Washington and Taipei also announced earlier this month what could be one of the largest military sales to the island in U.S. history.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s president is seeking approval for a historic special defense budget, all of which has irritated Beijing.
China’s ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan’s autonomous democracy as its own territory, even though it has never ruled it, and has vowed to rule the island by force if necessary.
Beijing has stepped up military threats against the island in recent years, launching large-scale drills at sensitive times to express dissatisfaction, and the latest exercises appear to be in line with that plan.
Eastern Theater Command spokesman Shi Yi said the training would focus on “sea-air combat readiness patrol training, seizing comprehensive control” and “blockade and control of major ports and critical areas.”
“This exercise serves as a grave warning to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external interference forces,” Shi said, using what appeared to be a veiled reference to the United States and its allies. “(It is) a legitimate and necessary action to protect national sovereignty and maintain national unity.”
Other voices quoted in Chinese state media were more explicit. In an interview published on social CCTV, military analyst Hu Nan, when asked why the exercises were being held at this time, cited the US-Taiwan arms agreement and called it an “escalation” of “collusion.”
Taiwanese Presidential Spokesperson Karen Kuo said in a statement that the exercises “blatantly undermine the security and stability status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region” and “openly challenge international law and order.”
The landmark $11.1 billion arms deal between the United States and Taiwan includes the HIMARS rocket system, anti-tank missiles, anti-armor missiles, loitering drones, howitzers, and military software.
Washington recognizes the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China. Although it recognizes the Chinese government’s position that Taiwan is part of China, it has never accepted the Chinese Communist Party’s claim of sovereignty over Taiwan.
The United States maintains close unofficial ties with Taiwan, which have strengthened in recent years. The country is required by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself, and is supplied with defensive weapons.
The latest military exercise announcements are accompanied by the usual release of nationalist propaganda aimed at audiences within China. Among them is a poster depicting a flaming arrow on an island, titled “Arrows of Justice, Control, and Denial.”
It is not immediately clear how long the war games will last. Shi said the navy and air force will conduct combat readiness patrols starting Dec. 29, and the command has issued a notice announcing the closure of sea and airspace around Taiwan for daytime live-fire training on Dec. 30.
The China Coast Guard also announced on Monday that it would begin law enforcement patrols in waters near Taiwan and two of its remote islands.
China’s drills come at a time when Taiwan is receiving increased attention in both diplomatic and domestic discourse from the Chinese government, primarily due to friction with Japan.
Beijing sparked anger at its regional neighbor after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested China might respond militarily if it moves to take control of Taiwan by force. The Chinese government views it as a direct threat to its sovereignty.
Chinese authorities also view Taiwan as a principled “red line” in U.S.-China relations, and Chinese officials have long criticized informal ties between Taipei and Washington.
Beijing condemned the recently announced arms deal between the two countries, saying the move “violates China’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity and undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
Taiwan has stepped up its military purchases in recent years under increasing pressure from Beijing, with Chinese aircraft and ships present near the island on an almost daily basis and large-scale exercises regularly conducted in and around the island.
But part of the latest deal, which will be paid for as part of a historic $40 billion special defense budget proposed by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-toku in late November, has struggled to win approval in Taiwan’s opposition-dominated parliament.
