Angered Over Taiwan, China Issues a ‘Stern Warning’
China began war games around Taiwan on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (YouTube)
China’s military said Monday it had launched large-scale joint live-fire exercises involving air, naval, and missile forces around Taiwan, describing the drills as a “stern warning” to pro-independence groups and what it called outside interference. Taiwan responded by placing its military on heightened alert and accused Beijing of being the “biggest destroyer of peace” in the region.
Taiwan’s aviation authority warned that the exercises would disrupt international travel, with more than 100,000 passengers affected by flight cancellations or diversions, according to the Associated Press. The drills followed China’s criticism of a potential major U.S. arms sale to Taiwan and remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting Japan’s military could become involved if China took action against the island.
Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, said the exercises were being carried out in the Taiwan Strait and in areas north, south, east, and west of the island. He said the drills focused on sea-and-air combat patrols, gaining overall operational superiority, and blockading key ports. Shi added that this marked the first major exercise in which the command publicly stated that its objective included “all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain,” calling the drills necessary to protect China’s sovereignty and national unity.
Taiwanese defense officials said Chinese military activity around the island was extensive. Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence at Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, said that by mid-afternoon Monday, 89 Chinese aircraft and drones were operating near the strait, with 67 entering Taiwan’s monitored response zone. The ministry also detected 14 Chinese navy ships in the strait, four additional warships in the Western Pacific, and 14 coast guard vessels.
Hsieh warned that live-fire drills near the Taiwan Strait go beyond pressure on Taiwan and could pose broader risks to neighboring countries and the international community.
The exercises are scheduled to continue Tuesday. Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration said China had declared seven temporary danger zones around the strait for rocket-firing drills from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., restricting civilian air traffic. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party was seeking independence by relying on U.S. support and risked turning the island into a regional flashpoint.
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