China Launches War Games Around Taiwan As Island Vows To Defend Democracy

BEIJING/TAIPEI, Dec 29 (Reuters) – The Chinese military moved its army, navy, air force and artillery units around Taiwan on Monday for “Justice Mission 2025” exercises as the island vowed to defend democracy and mobilize troops to repel a potential Chinese attack.

Eastern Theater Command announced on Tuesday that the drills would include live-fire drills, saying in a statement that five zones surrounding the island, which delineate their borders, will be under sea and airspace restrictions for 10 hours from 8 a.m. (0000 GMT).

This marks China’s sixth major round of wargaming since 2022, when then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the democratically governed island, and follows an increase in Chinese rhetoric about Beijing’s territorial claims after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.

The exercises began 11 days after the United States announced an $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the largest arms package ever; China’s defense ministry protested and warned that the military would “take strong measures” in response.

Analysts say Beijing’s drills are increasingly blurring the lines between routine military training exercises and what could set the stage for an attack; This strategy aims to give the United States and its allies minimal warning of an attack.
The Chinese military said it has deployed fighter jets, bombers, drones and long-range rockets and will practice hitting moving targets on the ground while simulating a coordinated attack on the island from multiple directions.

“These (exercises) serve as a serious warning to ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces and foreign intervention forces,” said Eastern Theater Command spokesman Shi Yi.
The Taiwanese government condemned the exercises. The presidential office spokesman urged China not to misjudge the situation and undermine regional peace and urged Beijing to immediately stop what they described as irresponsible provocations.

SCARE TACTICS

The island’s defense ministry said two Chinese military aircraft and 11 ships had operated around the island in the past 24 hours and that Taiwan’s military was on high alert and ready to conduct “rapid response exercises”.
This particular exercise was designed to move troops quickly in case China suddenly turned one of its exercises around the island into an attack.
“All members of our armed forces will remain highly alert and fully alert, taking concrete steps to defend the values ​​of democracy and freedom,” the defense ministry said.

Dozens of Chinese military boats and aircraft operated near Taiwan on Monday, some of them “deliberately approaching” Taiwan’s adjacent territory, defined as 24 nautical miles from the coast, a senior Taiwan security official told Reuters.

Taiwan’s coast guard said it had sent large ships in response to Chinese coast guard activities near the island’s waters and was working with the island’s military to minimize the impact of the drills on sea lanes and fishing grounds.
Taiwanese stocks were unaffected by the drills and rose 0.6% to a record high in morning trading.

“I think these drills are just to scare us,” said Lin Wei-ming, a 31-year-old teacher living in the capital Taipei. “Similar exercises have happened before… the political side of things can only be addressed by Taiwan’s current government and how they choose to respond.”

Taiwan rejects China’s claimed sovereignty, arguing that only its people can decide the island’s future.

‘CRUSH THE DIVIDED SCREAMS’

Following the exercise announcement, the Chinese military released two posters titled “Shields of Justice: Shattering Illusions” and “Arrows of Justice: Control and Denial,” as well as a third graphic showing four locations across the island where targets were locked on.

The Chinese state broadcaster said the exercises will focus on shutting down Taiwan’s vital deep-water port of Keelung in the island’s north and Kaohsiung in Taiwan’s south, the island’s largest port city.

While the PLA implemented port blockades around Taiwan during war games last year, this was the first time it publicly stated that drills around the island were aimed at “deterring” foreign military intervention.

The Japanese prime minister’s remarks led to an increase in messages highlighting China’s sovereignty claims. Chinese leader Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump in November that Taiwan’s “return to China” after World War II was central to Beijing’s vision of global order.

The first poster showed the armada of civilian ships that China had mobilized to aid in an attack on Taiwan. Ships with ramps and open decks similar to military landing ships used in amphibious assaults were also shown.
“Any foreign intervention that touches the shield (of justice) will be destroyed!” poster read. “All separatist scoundrels who encounter the shield will be destroyed!”

The second poster features flaming arrows raining down on Taiwan and spearing green cartoon insects. Beijing regularly calls Taiwan President Lai Ching-te a “parasite” and began using the green bug cartoon to represent separatist forces during war games in April.

“I think their (China’s) goal is, as they say, ‘to protect the island, not the people,'” said interior designer Stephanie Huang, 56. “They want to save face by claiming Taiwan is part of their country, but Taiwanese don’t see it that way.”

“We are us; they are themselves.”

Joe Cash and Yimou Lee report from Taipei; Additional reporting by Eduardo Baptista in Beijing and Fabian Hamacher in Taipei; Editing: Neil Fullick, Stephen Coates and Lincoln Feast.