BEIJING — China’s military announced the completion of major exercises near Taiwan on December 31, 2025. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said the operation, titled “Justice Mission 2025,” involved drills that simulated surrounding the island.
The drills took place on December 29 and 30. PLA officials said the exercises practiced a blockade—a strategy to seal off the island and prevent outside help from arriving. During the operation, the military simulated both troop landings from the sea and rocket launches directed toward the island.
Military Presence and Impact
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense tracked a heavy military presence during the two-day exercise. Officials spotted 130 Chinese planes and 22 ships between the mornings of December 29 and December 30. In the 24 hours that followed, they identified another 77 planes and 25 ships operating nearby. During these activities, at least 125 planes crossed the Taiwan Strait median line—the unofficial boundary between the two sides.
The drills disrupted daily life on the island, forcing officials to cancel dozens of domestic flights and call up emergency units. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense and Coast Guard remained on high alert throughout the exercises. Even as Chinese forces pulled back, officials kept emergency centers active and used jets and warships to monitor the area.
Political Statements
On New Year’s Eve, President Xi Jinping gave a televised address from Beijing. He stated that the unification of Taiwan with mainland China is an “unstoppable historical trend.” President Xi did not mention the military exercises in his speech. However, he highlighted the aircraft carrier Fujian officially joining the fleet as a major milestone. He noted that the ship uses a new system to launch planes more quickly.
The exercises began about 11 days after the U.S. government announced a record-breaking $11.1 billion deal to sell military equipment to Taiwan. The sale still requires Congressional approval. The announcement drew sharp criticism from officials in Beijing. During the drills on December 30, ambassadors from the “Quad” nations—the U.S., Australia, Japan, and India—met at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to discuss security.
International Response
Other nations and organizations, including the United Kingdom, Japan, and the European Union, expressed concern over the drills and called for stability in the region. However, U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed the concerns. He pointed to his relationship with President Xi and noted that China has conducted similar operations for about 20 years.
Chinese military officials stated that their Eastern Theater Command remains on high alert to protect the country’s borders and authority.
