PLA launches live-fire drills simulating Taiwan blockade
The PLA on early Monday morning made a shock announcement of live-fire drills simulating a Taiwan blockade, to be held fully starting Tuesday. By Monday afternoon, the defense ministry had responded by coordinating a response command center, as numerous Chinese aircrafts made its way into Taiwan’s ADIZ. At the same time, the Presidential Office also issued a statement, urging China to exercise self-restraint and not to sabotage regional peace.
The PLA’s aircraft received a warning as it crosses Taiwan’s ADIZ. But it wouldn’t budge. At 7:30 a.m. Monday morning, the PLA made a shock announcement of live-fire drills around Taiwan.
Shi Yi
PLA Eastern Theater Command
The drills to enhance joint combat capabilities have begun on Dec. 29. This is a stern warning against “Taiwan independence” separatist forces and external meddlers. It is a legitimate and necessary action to uphold national integrity.
Codenamed “Justice Mission 2025,” the exercises are being held all across the Taiwan Strait, and within Taiwan’s territorial waters of the north, southwest, southeast and east. In other words, a simulation of a blockade. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense immediately responded by coordinating a response command center. The public-facing announcement on Facebook was accompanied with a video clip.
The Cost Guard also released a video in which a Chinese Cost Guard vessel was urged to leave.
Hsieh Jih-sheng
Deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence
Regarding the PLA’s Navy and Air Force troupes, on behalf of the PLA Navy, we’ve detected a total of 14 PLA Navy ships and 14 Coast Guard vessels. By 3 p.m., we’ve detected a total of 89 war plane and drone sorties, of which 67 entered our ADIZ.
Karen Kuo
Presidential Office spokesperson
We urge the Chinese authorities to exercise rationality and self-restraint, and to cease all irresponsible provocations at once. Do not misjudge the situation and thereby become a troublemaker sabotaging regional peace.
Su Tzu-yun
Institute for National Defense and Security Research
The subjects of the exercise are quite different from those in the past. It aims to seize air and sea control, as well as electromagnetic control and block foreign military resources. Therefore, it is a three-dimensional deterrence operation on the outer lines. Finally, the surprise offensive by various branches of the PLA indicates that it may be about to carry out the so-called occupation operation.
Wang Ting-yu
Lawmaker (DPP)
Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s remarks emphasized Taiwan’s security, while the Trump administration announced the biggest ever arms sales package to Taiwan. If China does not step up, Xi Jinping may not be able to placate hawkish members in China.
The drills were launched amid Taiwan’s internal disagreements over a proposed NT$1.25 trillion national defense special budget, which has been blocked from legislative proceedings four times by the opposition.
Puma Shen
Lawmaker (DPP)
For China, anything Taiwan does, or even the mere existence of Taiwan is a provocation in itself. What we must do, is to fully prepare our means for national defense. If the special budget proposal doesn’t pass, then it wouldn’t matter what the opposition say. They claim to carefully audit the nation’s finances for the people. That’s clearly a lie.
Lawmakers of the ruling party are urging national unity in this latest crisis, beginning with the military special budget to demonstrate the country’s will of self-defense.
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2025-12-29
